For the Sake of One
by notgonnasay09
Summary: AU. Inspired by "Betrayal," a fic by thymisticals. One incident against Naruto will change his path. What all can change with one betrayal? How will our hero change? Is it true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?
1. Prologue

**For the Sake of One**

By Notgonnasay09

_**Note: The original plot for this was based off of thymistical's "Betrayal." Yes, I have permission to use his concept for my fic, but I will try to make this as much my own as possible.  
**_

_**I also do not own Naruto. If I did, Naruto would not be as oblivious to affection as he is in canon, and Sasuke would simply have been satisfied with killing Itachi with the understanding that he did what he had to do out of duty.**_

_**Prologue:  
**_

Three figures sat in a darkened room one late summer evening, with a lamp being the only source of light. One appeared to be a young woman no older than perhaps twelve. Her face could not be seen, but one could feel a hardened mindset around her. The other two, sitting directly across from her, appeared to be in their late sixties or older seventies. Not much could be seen of the elderly group's features, mostly due to the lack of light, but one could make out a pair of glasses and a bun hairstyle with an extended sebon in the hair of what appeared to be the female of the pair.

"You know what you must do, child?" asked what appeared to be the only male of the group of three. He sat in a chair facing the two other figures in the room, sounding like a general informing a private of his or her mission.

The youngest member of the room stared back at the two elderly people in front of her. "Yes, I do. I must kill Naruto Uzumaki. He is a threat that must be eliminated. His presence will only endanger the village as a whole. It will be done. And in exchange…"

"We will guarantee you a place as the wife of one of the most prestigious clans in Konohagakure no Sato when the time comes." The elderly woman smiled, which betrayed the rather sinister nature of her request.

A smile came from the third member's pink lips. "Consider it done." With that, the youngest member left the room.

"Have we done the right thing?" The elderly woman asked.

"It is for the good of Konoha. There are simply too many risks involving the boy. If he survives, Konoha will become a major target for anyone looking for his power. This is for the best." The elderly man stated.

Little did anyone realize that this plot against one young man would change the village forever…


	2. Chapter 1: Unforeseen Action

For the Sake of One

Chapter 1: Unforeseen Action

_**Disclaimer: If you think I own Naruto, I have a mansion in Beverly Hills I would love to sell to you.**_

It was a typical sunny day in Konohagakure no Sato. Well, typical for most. For the recently graduated Genin, it was Test Day. That's right. Apparently, there was a second test that none of the students were aware of. So, today, they were each at the mercy of their Jōnin sensei. Currently, one team of Genin was hiding inconspicuously amongst a cluster of trees that made up the barrier surrounding the Third Training Ground.

The first, and easily the tallest, of the three young hopefuls was a young man with a pale complexion. Not much could be seen of the young man, as he wore a pair of round, black sunglasses to cover his brown eyes and a sea-green coat with a high collar to obscure the rest of his features. Completing the youth's ensemble was a pair of brown shinobi slacks with a kunai pouch tied around his right leg, a pair of black shinobi sandals, and a _hitai-ate, _or forehead protector, with a blue cloth tied around his bushy brown hair. His name was Shino Aburame. He was the heir to the Aburame clan, a clan specializing in the Hiden techniques of using kikaichū, or destruction bugs.

The only other male in the group was easily recognized as an Inuzuka. He had a bushel of messy brown hair, thin eyes with vertical canine-like slits, claw-like nails, and sharp canine teeth. The red triangular tattoos resting on his cheeks were a dead giveaway of his lineage. His uniform consisted of a set of grayish-brown pants, a grey parka-style coat with black fur, and a _hitai-ate _with a blue cloth. His name was Kiba. Perched on top of his head was a small white dog with brown ears named Akamaru. Kiba was the son of the Inuzuka matriarch, Tsume Inuzuka, with a specialty in Collaboration Jutsu with his canine companion.

Rounding out the three Genin was a shy young girl with pale lavender eyes. Her hair was a midnight blue, with a pair of bangs framing her face. Her fair skin tone seemed to simply add to her appearance. Her uniform was a combination of a beige hoodie with the fiery symbol of the Hyūga clan on the upper right and left sleeves, a black undershirt with light chain-mail reinforcement, blue shinobi sandals, and navy blue pants. Her _hitai-ate_, like her comrades, was blue. However unlike the rest, she wore hers around her neck. She was Hinata Hyūga, current heiress to the Hyūga clan. Like the rest of her clansmen, she possessed the Byakugan, the dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai the clan is infamous for. With it, she not only had a near 360˚ field of vision, she can also see the chakra pathways that would be invisible to anyone else. This enhanced sight allows the members of the Hyūga clan to utilize Jūken, or the Gentle Fist, style of taijutsu. The style allows the user to hit tenketsu, or chakra points, throughout the body, and effectively prevents a person from using chakra and, in some cases, can cause organ failure and loss of mobility.

Supervising the three Genin was their Jōnin instructor, Kurenai Yūhi. Kurenai was a relatively new Jōnin, having only recently been promoted. Her uniform, unlike the vast majority of her colleagues, was made up of what appeared to be black and white strips of cloth, with wraps covering some of her body, including her arms. Kurenai wore a _hitai-ate_ with a black cloth. Her eyes were a piercing red with a black ring around the pupil. Even her long hair, a messy black, seemed to scream for attention. Despite this, she was a calm and collective individual. Her specialty was in genjutsu.

The four-man cell was currently hiding as part of their test. As a tracking team, part of their abilities would stem from being able to gather information about a target without being spotted. Not every tracked target could simply be captured as soon as it was tracked down, after all. So, Kurenai gave Team 8 this test: Spy on a team and gather as much information about them as possible. The goal was to be able to gather the information without being caught, similar to how you would need to fallow a target without it catching on and running away. It was her team's choice to try and gather reconnaissance on the team currently occupying Training Grounds Three.

* * *

The team in question was in the middle of its own training session. The man that was obviously giving the test to the newly minted Genin team was a man with white hair that seemed to defy the known laws of gravity. It seemed that the Genin didn't recognize their teacher. But, to anyone else, they would recognize the unusual man as the Copy-Cat Nin, Kakashi Hatake.

Kakashi almost always wore his uniform, which was the standard issue of most Jōnin in the village, as well as metal-plated gloves and a mask that covers his face from the eye-level down. His black _hitai-ate _covered his left eye, sometimes earning him the nickname of "Cyclops." Right now, he was in the middle of yet another test to Genin hopefuls. The three in front of him, however, were not living up to the expectations that he hoped for in the beginning.

First was the "last" of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke was somewhat dressed like a ninja, with black sandals, a blue shirt with a high collar and the Uchiha fan on the back, a blue _hitai-ate_ and tan shorts. In a way, Sasuke was becoming a greater disappointment than what most of the village would have thought. Granted, he showed a wide display of advanced tactics and an impressive display of jutsu. He even managed to get closer to actually getting a bell than his teammates, the key word being "he." Not once did Sasuke ever ask for his teammate's help. Kakashi had at least hoped that the "rookie of the year" would have the brains to figure out the point of the test. Apparently, his overinflated ego was getting the better of him. In a way, Sasuke reminded Kakashi of him when Kakashi was his age. Hopefully, Kakashi could work that out of Sasuke. That is, _if_ he managed to actually pass the test.

Then there was the "dead last," Naruto Uzumaki. In almost every sense of the word, Naruto was the antithesis of being a ninja. His choice of shinobi apparel, which consisted of an orange jumpsuit with a white collar and blue patches on his shoulders, a pair of orange pants, blue sandals, and a blue _hitai-ate_, was _screaming _for attention. He was loud, obnoxious, and charged straight into situations without much thought, if any at all. Not to mention, most of his drive seemed to be centered either on becoming Hokage, getting attention, or trying to win the affections of his pink-haired crush. However, Kakashi knew, at least in part, why Naruto acted the way he did. Being the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox meant that Naruto wasn't treated as fairly as many members of the village. He was shunned by the community, probably was devoid of most of an education in the beginning, and probably had to be the way he was just so that he didn't fall into the depression that almost complete social isolation could bring. Kakashi actually had high hopes for training Naruto, if his vastly large reserves and near unlimited Shadow Clone army were anything to go by. The kid was practically a blank slate. His skills were mediocre, and his form atrocious, but with any luck, Kakashi could very easily make Naruto into whatever he wanted. It didn't hurt that Naruto looked strikingly similar to his former sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Then there was the pink-haired girl of the team, Sakura Haruno. She was an enigma to Kakashi. On the one hand, she seemed to be the typical fan girl, a woman who would do anything for her "love," Sasuke Uchiha. She wasn't terribly strong, her chakra reserves were pitiful, and she wore attire, which consisted of a red dress, skin-tight green shorts, and a blue _hitai-ate_, that was not as functional as he would have hoped. She just seemed to be showing a demonstration of what she learned at the academy, instead of trying to improve upon it. On the other hand, she had a spark in her eye that unsettled Kakashi slightly. She seemed hardened on the task at hand part of the time, almost like a woman on a mission. He couldn't fathom what was going on. How could she have the mindset of a seasoned veteran one moment, and be a giddy fan girl who feints at the sight of her crush's head the next?

Luckily, Kakashi didn't have to wait long for answers. The timer signaling the end of the test sounded, signifying that no one had passed since the bells were still attached to his waist. After recalling his team, he tied Naruto to one of the training posts and decided to put Sasuke in a choke-hold.

'_What a disappointment. The last of the Uchiha trying to do everything by himself, a Hokage wannabe running around like a chicken with his head cut off, and a fan girl that seems to be suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder that will only do what is best for the Uchiha. Well, I suppose it's time to see if I can salvage this team,' _Thought Kakashi.

"All three of you disappoint me greatly. Not only did none of you pass the test, you didn't even attempt to get the real meaning of the test."

"What! What are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto yelled from his place on the stump.

"SHUT UP, YOU BAKA!" screeched Sakura as she slammed her fist into the side of his head. **"YEAH, YOU'RE NOT MAKING IT ANY EASIER TO LISTEN TO KAKASHI-SENSEI!" **her inner voice known as Inner Sakura seemed to agree.

From his position, all Sasuke could manage was "hm."

Kakashi sighed. "Simple. This wasn't about getting the bells. This was supposed to be about teamwork. Each of you was supposed to help the other get a bell, not run off to try and win things on your own."

"I get it...I think. So, we were supposed to work together to get a bell, even if it meant giving up your chance at passing, right?" Naruto asked.

"Exactly, Naruto." Kakashi answered.

"Wait, how did YOU figure that out, Naruto-no-baka?" Sakura asked, doubt practically dripping off of her words.

"Hey, just because I don't get stuff sometimes Sakura-chan, doesn't mean I am as dumb as Kiba or something…"

* * *

In Team 8's hiding place, Shino was trying his best to keep Kiba restrained.

"Let me at him! Let me at him!" Kiba roared.

"Kiba-san, we cannot give away our position. Why, do you ask? Because we will fail if we do."

"K-kiba-kun, p-please stay qu-qu-quiet." Hinata managed to stutter.

"Alright, but if that dumb-ass says one more thing about how dumb I am, test or not, I'm kicking his ass!"

* * *

Back with Team 7, Kakashi went into a further explanation of the Bell Test. "The point of the exercise was to see if you would be willing to work together in order to achieve a goal and to see if you would place the needs of your comrades over your own interests." Kakashi then pulled out a kunai and tossed it to Sakura while he pulled another kunai out and held it at Sasuke's neck. "For instance, Sakura, kill Naruto or Sasuke dies…"

Now, if circumstances were different, Sakura would have questioned Kakashi's orders. Killing a comrade was considered to be a capital offense in Konoha, and Kakashi was telling her to commit a capital offense. However, she had a mission to accomplish. Naruto was a threat that needed to be eliminated, and the reward for doing this was too great to pass up. So, with a speed no one was expecting, Sakura took the kunai, and stabbed Naruto…straight through the neck.

* * *

The world seemed to freeze and the sounds of the outside world seemed to mute themselves. All eyes were on Sakura and what she just did, with the only exception being Naruto, who seemed to be losing focus of the outside world. Before losing consciousness, only one thought ran through his mind. _'Why, Sakura-chan, why?'_

Kakashi was stunned stupid. He had failed many teams before, but this was the first time anyone actually took his order seriously. Most would have been too flabbergasted to even consider it an option, and yet Sakura had done so without batting an eyelash, like it was normal to be asked to kill a former classmate. He couldn't have even predicted that Sakura would have gone through something like that. True, he saw that she didn't like him, but to kill him? He didn't know quite what to think.

Sasuke was astounded. If the situation didn't seem so messed up, he might have just fallen in love with the pink-haired kunoichi-in-training. He had to admit, seeing her simply follow through with orders like that was rather appealing. That being said, he wasn't sure even _he _would have killed a fellow comrade simply because he was ordered to. He may not have liked the dobe, but even Sasuke didn't think he deserved that. _'Man, dobe, did you pick the wrong girl to have a crush on…'_

Kiba was at a loss. He may have acted like a jerk most of the time, but he was friends with Naruto. He remembered some of the pranks he pulled with Naruto, along with Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi, on their former sensei, Iruka Umino. Kiba was also aware of Naruto's crush on Sakura. So, for him to see his friend's crush attack, the irony was just a little too much. He couldn't even come up with a wise-crack to say.

Shino seemed unperturbed, but the raising of his eyebrows in surprise spoke volumes. He was never that close to the blond, mainly because his insects seemed to have a tension around whenever Naruto was in close quarters. He didn't know why, but something about him didn't agree with his insects. That being said, he could not find the logic in what Sakura just did. She was not crazed, as least as far as he could tell, and Sakura was only truly violent if Naruto did something to Sasuke. But, that was usually followed up by a loud rant by the pinkette. For her to simply attack Naruto without any remorse defied logic.

Kurenai didn't know quite what to think. She had never seen a student so unconcerned about the safety of her teammate. She had read some of the profiles of the students beforehand, so she had an idea of what the graduating class looked like. But, she didn't hear anything about a ruthless killer in the class. She may not have been an elite ninja for very long, but even she thought it was strange that Sakura did this. She turned to see how her other student, whom she thought of as a younger sister, was handling things.

Hinata was shocked, abhorred, and terrified. All she could see was the weapon going into the neck of the one person that inspired her the most. She was even starting to develop a crush on the young blond. His will to never give up, his smile, the way he would stick up for the underdog and boast about becoming Hokage, everything about him inspired the blue-haired girl. Now, he was being stabbed by not only his own teammate, but by his _crush._ Hinata never was really close to any of the young women her age, primarily because of her own insecurities about her skills and looks, but she never was fond of Sakura. She was the only person who had what Hinata wanted. Hinata didn't know what Naruto saw in Sakura, but whatever it was, she wanted it, if for no other reason than to simply be able to walk at Naruto's side. Now, she may not be able to do that at all. As time seemed to speed back up, she noticed that Sakura had pulled the kunai out of Naurto and was making for another strike…

"NARUTO-KUN!"

That one scream seemed to snap the rest of Team 8 out of its stupefied state and into action. Throwing away all inclinations to remain hidden, they snapped into action, rushing across the field to try and help their comrade. Kiba and Kurenai rushed towards Sasuke and Kakashi, who seemed too stunned to do anything about what was going on, and restrained them. Shino and Hinata made a race to Sakura, who before being incapacitated by Shino delivered three more wounds to Naruto: one to the right side of his chest, one to the gut, and one to the left kidney. Hinata quickly went to untie Naruto and try to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, her knowledge of first aid was limited, and she lacked the expertise to treat all of the wounds.

"K-Kurenai-sensei! He's still b-b-bleeding! We n-n-need to get him to a ho-hospital!" Hinata managed to stutter out in her panicked state.

"Kiba, knock out Sasuke and carry him. Shino, you grab Sakura. I'll grab Naruto. We need to get him medical attention immediately! Kakashi, you better go and get the Hokage. He will need to know what is going on!" Kakashi was gone in a poof of smoke, his only thoughts being that he hoped his blond student would live to see another day.

As the group ran towards the hospital, those that were still conscious all prayed to whatever god was watching over them that Naruto would live to see another day.

* * *

**Note: As you may now realize, the last chapter was just an opening. I still plan on using some plot elements of thymistical's "Betrayal," for about another chapter or two, then I will be going off on my own. Hopefully, I can add some things people won't see coming.**

**For those who are worried, I am not bashing on Sakura. This is an AU fic and things will be explained in time. Trust me, they won't stay mysterious forever. As for Sasuke, I have yet to decide if I will make him evil or not. Perhaps this incident could change him down the right path, or he could still be driven to Orochimaru. I have yet to decide. As for Kakashi, he is a nice guy in this fic, but things won't work out for him for a while.**

**As you can see, there are already some key differences between my story and thymisticals. First off, I didn't make Kakashi to be an ass. Second, I gave a reason for Team 8 to be there other than to see why so many people fail Kakashi's test. Finally, as you may have guessed, I gave Sakura a little more "motivation" to do what she did.**

**If you have ideas on how I can improve this, feel free to send me a message. I can't say I will update this daily, but I will write what I can and update when I feel inspired. Until next time, See Ya!**

**

* * *

**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Shinobi: Synonym for ninja**_

_**Kunoichi: Female Ninja**_

_**Hitai-ate: Forehead Protector**_

_**Baka: Idiot, fool, stupid, ect.**_

_**Dobe: Dead Last or Idiot**_

_**Konohagakure no Sato: Village Hidden in the Leaves**_

_**Sensei: Teacher**_

_**-San: Used as an everyday honorific for someone on the same level as you. Similar to the English "Mr." or "Miss."**_

_**-Chan: A term of endearment with overtones of excess cuteness, most frequently used for (and between) girls, but also applicable to pets, small boys and lovers.**_

_**-Kun: Used with boys' names to denote familiarity or endearment; also used between peers by men, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower social standing. **_

_**Genin: Junior Ninja**_

_**Jōnin: Elite Ninja**_

_**Kunai: Throwing Knife**_

_**Sebon (from last chapter): Throwing Needle**_

_**Hiden: Techniques that are not considered bloodlines, but stay within a clan. People who use these techniques must already have a genetic predisposition to the techniques. The Nara clan's Shadow techniques and the Aburame's destruction bugs are considered Hiden techniques.**_

_**Kekkei Genkai: Bloodline Limits; traits passed on through blood, like the Sharingan and Byakugan.**_

_**Dōjutsu: Techniques of the eyes, like the Byakugan.**_

_**Genjutsu: Illusion techniques**_

_**Hokage: Leader of the Hidden Leaf Village**_

_**Jinchūriki: Human Sacrifice, used to contain something. Naruto, for instance is the Jinchūriki of the **__**Kyūbi no Yōko, or the Nine-Tailed Fox.**_

_**Yondaime: Fourth**_

Please Read and Review.


	3. Chapter 2: Divine Test

For the Sake of One

Chapter 2: Divine Test

_**Disclaimer: If I did own Naruto, don't you think I would put more in about Naruto's parentage other than one or two chapters?**_

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, was _not _a in a good mood. His day didn't start all that well to begin with. First, he got up this morning to a cold household. Apparently, that rather lazy son of his Asuma Sarutobi forgot to add some extra fuel to the fireplace the previous night before heading to bed. Next, he had to yet again try to reduce the size of the ever-growing pile of paperwork that seemed to be accumulating on his desk. Then he had to, once again, remind Danzō Shimura, head of the currently "disbanded" ROOT division of ANBU, that Naruto was not a weapon and would not be turned into such. Then it was listening to the whining of the village civilian council on matters so trivial an academy student could solve the problem with little thought. The one bright spot so far had was that his grandson, Konohamaru Sarutobi, had barged into his office and asked him to allow him to sign the Sarutobi Monkey Summoning Contract when he was of a proper age. All in all, it was not one of the aging Hokage's best days on record.

So when Kakashi Hatake appeared in his office stating that Naruto Uzumaki, a young man that Hiruzen thought of like a grandson, was en route to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Hiruzen knew that it was going to be a long day. He had a feeling that the staff may or may not put their best effort into his treatment, and justify themselves either by saying that the Fox would heal any life-threatening injuries, or that "there wasn't enough time to save him," or some other garbage the Third really didn't feel like hearing today.

'_It is times like these that make me wonder why I didn't do the sealing myself…'_ thought the Third Hokage morosely. _'It certainly would have made things a lot easier for Naruto…I'm getting too old for this crap.'_

_

* * *

_

When the Third Fire Shadow entered the slightly large hospital room, he was met with a rather unsettling sight. Sasuke Uchiha was leaning against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck in much the same way one would do so after someone hit him on the neck. Kiba Inuzuka was on the floor petting his canine partner Akamaru, watching and waiting for news about his comrade. Kurenai Yūhi was doing her best to try and comfort one Hinata Hyūga. Rounding out the group was Shino Aburame, who seemed to be standing guard over Sakura Haruno, who happened to be coming back into consciousness.

'_Yes, this most certainly will not be my day…'_

A medical ninja stood in front of the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, I have some bad news."

Heaving out what he knew was going to be the first of a long string of sighs for the day, the Hokage ordered the medic nin to report.

"Well, Naruto's injuries seem to have healed somewhat, but…he lost a lot of blood, and…"

"Yes?" The Hokage impatiently asked.

"Well, there's no easy way of saying this. There is nothing physically wrong with him, but his vitals are continuing to drop. Simply put, he is dying."

"How can that be? If his injuries are healed, shouldn't he be waking up?" asked Kakashi.

"Ordinarily, that would be the case," the medic told the Copy-Cat Nin. "However, it seems that, for reasons non-medicine related, Naruto has lost the will to live. He, for whatever reason, is refusing to cling onto life. I am sorry."

Everyone gave pause to that statement. Naruto was giving up on _life_? That was about as imaginable as him giving up on ramen. Naruto was the living embodiment of determination. He could become a limbless invalid with nothing but his sense of taste left in him and he would still be ranting about becoming Hokage. He himself once boasted about it. The idea of someone like him giving up was just unfathomable. After hearing the medic nin's report, Hinata separated herself from her sensei and was at Naruto's side crying.

Trying to keep some form of composer, the Hokage turned to the medic nin. "It is not your fault. Thank you for doing your best." The Third told the medic nin. The medic nin bowed to his superior as he left. "Alright, who wants to tell me what the hell happened?" Sarutobi asked, but the tone definitely implied that it was an order, not a request.

It was Kurenai that decided to speak up. "Hokage-sama, my team was in the middle of its Genin test when this occurred. They were spying on Kakashi's test in order to pass. Their goal was to gather information on another team without them knowing about it. I felt it was the best test for a team that was supposed to specialize in tracking and recon. At any rate, we observed the test given to Team Seven. I won't bore you with the details. As he was going into explaining the goal of the test, Kakashi gave an order to Sakura Haruno, which I assume was supposed to be another test; after the order was given, she stabbed Naruto in the neck. While his sensei and other teammate were in a state of shock, my team mobilized to try and get to Naruto, but not before Sakura managed to land three more blows to the chest, gut, and kidney, respectively."

Sufficient to say, the Hokage was beyond furious. This whole incident was riddled with armature mistakes, sheer stupidity, and betrayal the likes of which he hadn't seen since he disbanded ROOT. Noticing the crying Hyūga, the Hokage turned his full attention to the pink haired member of Team 7. She looked like she was about to make a comment about Naruto's status, but wisely decided to shut her trap when she looked at Hiruzen's face. In a tone that could send chills up even the coldest of hearts, Hiruzen warned her, "I sincerely hope that Naruto lives through this, Haruno-san. For if he dies, so do you."

For the first time in her rather short life, Sakura was hoping that Naruto managed to live through this, if for no other reason than to keep her off the chopping block.

* * *

Naruto tried waking up. For some reason, he was in a lot of pain, particularly in his neck, chest, and abdominal areas. He didn't remember how he got here…oh, that's right, he thought, Sakrua-chan had stabbed him. That must have meant he was dead. He tried to recall what happened right before he blacked out. Then there was someone…yelling. There was a couple of blurs that he couldn't focus on. A set of lavender eyes filled with…tears, maybe? Then, there was nothing. Slowly, he opened his eyes. There was nothing but white all around him, as far as the eye could see in any direction. That was unusual, he imagined death being more, he didn't know, interesting. There were no people waiting in line, no pearly gates, no flames of Hell, no scarier-then-Orochimaru-doing-kabuki Shinigami about ready to devour his soul for all eternity, nothing.

"So, I'm dead, huh?" Naruto stated. "Well, I guess I was expecting something a little more…special. Man, did I ever screw up! With all of the stuff that stupid Fox did, I was half-expecting to end up in the darkest pits of Hell just by being associated with it. But, I guess this is just Kami's version of Hell for me. Just me being alone, for all eternity, never knowing my family, never having good friends, never getting married, or being Hokage, or anything. Guess that kinda makes me special, huh?" he chuckled with a rather macabre tone.

"Now, now, I think Kami-sama would be a little more creative in building a personal hell for someone supposedly so tainted by evil. Don't you think?"

Naruto turned around and was met face-to-face with what he could only describe as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his short life. She seemed to be of an average height, but had an aura of regality around her. Her long, flowing white robe was tied off with a golden sash, which modestly clung to her figure. A light silver trim and a design of what appeared to be a dove in light gold seemed to be the only ornamentation on the robe itself. Her ebony hair cascaded down reaching the small of her back. Her arms appeared to have a glove of sorts with two golden rings that fit over her middle fingers to stretch the fabric over her delicate hands. The staff she carried was a simple design: platinum in color, a circle placed on top with six rings total, three hanging off of one side of the staff and three on the other, hanging off of the frame, and another small bird statue perched on top of the circle. What caught Naruto's attention though were her eyes. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see much about the eyes. It was as if someone had replaced her eyes with a pair of spotlights. If she were in a darkened room, her eyes would probably act like flashlights. Everything about this woman screamed that she was someone to be respected. All Naruto could muster was a weak, "Kami-sama…"

"Not quite, young one." To Naruto, even her voice carried with it a tone of authority. "I am nowhere near Kami-sama's level, but I am someone that works for Kami-sama. I am what you call a Messenger. You can call me Chiyoko."

"Um, Chiyoko-sama, I mean no disrespect, but where in the Hell am I exactly?" a confused Naruto inquired.

The newly named Chiyoko stifled a small giggle. "You are where all souls go when they are sent to us prematurely. I believe you humans refer to it as 'limbo.' It is where all souls go when you are waiting to see if you are to pass over to the other side, or if you are to return to your world."

"So, I'm not dead?"

"Not exactly, Naruto-kun. Right now, you are just hanging on to life, but you are losing the fight. It would seem that you are losing the will to go on," Chiyoko answered.

Naruto stayed silent for a second, then responded. "It makes sense, I guess. I really don't know why I still continue on most of the time. My life hasn't really worth living most of the time. Sure, it has nice to have people to talk to sometimes, but for the most part, I just want to know what it was like to no longer feel pain, to no longer feel so alone in my life, to not have my very existence acknowledged simply because of what I carried. Who knows, maybe I just want to go someplace where I might be loved, where I can escape the hateful glares and the hushed tones. Who knows, if I'm lucky, I could even see my parents again, whoever they were, even if they don't want to see me. Maybe, I just want to let it all go."

"So, are you saying that if there was a reason for you to stay, you would?" Chiyoko asked. "Or, let me ask you this: would you continue to fight to live, to continue to carry your burden, to live with the hate and the strife, even if it was painful? For the sake of one person, if just one person cared whether or not you lived or died today, would you change your mind?"

"Maybe, I don't honestly know. I mean, I can probably count all of the people that would truly miss me on my hand," Naruto stated as he held his hand up. "Let's see, Iruka-sensei would be sad for a while, but he would probably find a new troublemaker to have ramen with. Teuchi-oji-san and Ayame-nee-chan would probably find a new favorite customer, Konohamaru would probably find a new rival for Hokage, and Ojii-san has an entire village to care for. Other than them, I can't think of anyone…"

"Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong direction, eh?" Before Naruto could ask what Chiyoko was doing, a small opening in the area appeared, acting as a window. There, before Naruto's eyes, was Hinata, crying over his still form, small tears flowing down her face like a river. He barely knew anything about her, other than she seemed like a shy, dark weirdo and that she stuttered and turned red, a lot. Why would she be crying over someone like him? As if to answer his question, Naruto heard Hinata's quiet voice through the portal.

* * *

"N-n-naruto-kun, p-please don't give up. I-I, I don't know what I wo-would do without you in m-my life. You have been su-such an inspiration for me, you n-n-never gave up on anything. You would always t-try your hardest on everything you did. You a-are the strongest p-person I kn-know. Wi-without you, everything seems so hopeless. You are a great person, Naruto. So, p-please don't give up. Please, f-for m-m-m-me?"

* * *

Naruto was beside himself. She thought _that _highly of him? Him, Naruto Uzumaki, the dead last, the village pariah, the Demon Brat, was _her _inspiration? How could that be? He just had to tell Hinata that he would be alright. He didn't understand why fully, but it hurt to see Hinata cry over him like that. But, before he could call Hinata out and tell her that he was going to be all right, the portal closed.

"Well, I suppose we should get going…"

"Wait, what are you talking about! I can't just leave her!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What, I thought you said that no one else cared? Don't you want your pain to end? Don't you want to go somewhere where you could be loved? Don't you want to see your parents?" Chiyoko asked.

"Not if it means breaking Hinata-chan's heart like that! I don't care if I have to fight you for the right, I am not gonna just abandon Hinata-chan like that just for my own selfish reasons. Besides, maybe if I am lucky, when it is my time to go, I can see my family again…"

Chiyoko smiled. _'I wonder if he realized that he just called her Hinata-chan. Oh, well, time to break the news to him' _

"Well then…you pass."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled. "YOU MEAN THIS WHOLE THING WAS A TEST? Man, I am so sick and tired of tests already!"

"Well, that was the point, Naruto," Chiyoko stated, which had the effect of clamming Naruto up. "You see, we don't just give free passes to the Land of the Living. One must earn the right. You earned yours when you were willing to put the needs of someone else before your own. That was your test: to see if you would still fight, and continue on with the life that Kami-sama has given you, even for the sake of one person. The fact that you still wanted to fight, even when you were reminded that you were going to give up, showed that you had earned the right to continue. Now that you have passed, I shall return you to the living realm."

Before she could do so, however, Naruto stopped her. "First, Chiyoko-sama, I want to thank you for showing me the errors of my ways. Arigato."

"You are welcome, Naruto-kun."

"Second, can I ask what would have happened had I still wanted to go on even if it meant hurting Hinata-chan?"

"Had you decided to continue? Simple, your soul would have committed the sin of pride and greed by being selfish and thinking of your own life instead of the lives of others, and you would have been sent straight to Hell." Chiyoko said nonchalantly.

Naruto gulped. "OK, then. Before you send me back, I have two other questions"

She smiled. "Ask away."

"First, do my parents love me? I figure you guys would know, since you probably have seen them. I know I have no right to ask right now who they were, not after the way I have acted, but it would be nice to know if I was loved…" Naruto stated, a tear streaking down his whiskered cheek.

"Yes, your parents love you very much. Kami-sama saw how happy they were when you were born; it is a shame you don't know who they are. For that, you have my sympathies."

"Thank you; I have one last question. You said that they love me, like they are alive. Does that mean they are still around?"

"Not exactly, Naruto-kun. I cannot go into details, but your father is with the Shinigami right now. As for your mother she is not among the souls we have seen, and since all souls are recorded by either the Shinigami or Kami-sama, that can only mean that she is still alive somewhere. Perhaps, when you return, you should find the time to see if you can find her. Now, go. I think you have kept a certain someone waiting for a little too long."

"Arigato again, Chiyoko-sama." Naruto said as he slowly drifted back to his own world.

'_For all that it is worth, Naruto; I hope you are able to turn your life around for the better…' _Chiyoko stated as she slowly made her way back to Heaven.

* * *

Hinata was continuing to sob over Naruto's body. The idea of Naruto no longer being a part of her life terrified the heiress. He was her beacon in an otherwise cruel world. She wasn't entirely sure if she could manage in a world without Naruto.

Just as it seemed that all hope was lost, a shaky hand rose and cupped Hinata's tear-stained cheek. Hinata let out a small gasp, which seemed to snap everyone else in the room to attention. The hand holding her face was calloused, but felt warm, like the gentle rays of the sun beating down on her. She turned to see if it was one of her teammates, but she noticed that the angle was wrong. Her eyes slowly drifted down to the arm that was connected to the hand, and saw that it was indeed Naruto's. Deep, piercing, half-lidded cobalt orbs met pale lavender globes. A shaky voice escaped his lips in a tone just barely loud enough for the room's occupant's to hear. "H-hin...a…ta?"

Not trusting her voice and not quite believing what she was seeing, all Hinata could do was slowly nod her head. She then saw the famous, foxy grin of his creep across his face, and knew without a shadow of a doubt, that this was indeed Naruto, and he was very much alive!

"NARUTO-KUN!" In a very uncharacteristic manner, Hinata glomped Naruto, hugging him and crying into his hospital gown as if he was her lifeline. Everyone, Sasuke included, let out a collected breath that no one was aware they were holding.

'_Well, I suppose we can thank Kami for that," _thought Kakashi

'_That was too close…' _was all Sakura could manage.

'_Well, at least the baka wasn't wimpy enough to actually __**die **__at the banshee's hands' _thought Kiba.

'_His recovery defies logic. I think there may be more to Naruto then what is on the surface…' _thought Shino.

'_Thank Kami-sama. I thought for sure that we would have to put Hinata on suicide watch for a while there…' _thought Kurenai.

'_Well, looks like the dobe's luck saved him,' _thought Sasuke.

'_Looks like your son is certainly full of surprises, eh, Minato?' _thought Hiruzen.

After fifteen minutes of allowing Hinata to get her composer, and to attempt to stay conscious after realizing what she just did, she gave Naruto a glass of water, which he happily accepted. Hiruzen then turned to Naruto. "You gave us quite a scare, Naruto-kun."

"I'm sorry, Jiji. I…"

"That's all right. If you don't mind, why don't you and the rest of the members of Team 8 stay here while I have a talk with the rest of your team?"

"Um, okay?" Naruto stated hesitantly.

Hiruzen smiled, and then turned to face the other occupants in the room with the hardened face of a leader. "Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yūhi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, please fallow me. That is an order."

With that, the four aforementioned ninja left the room. Sasuke turned to face Naruto before he left. "Hey, dobe…"

"Yeah, teme? What is it?" Naruto asked.

"Congratulations…you just proved you are slightly stronger than a fan girl." Sasuke smirked, before heading out of the room. The frustrated yell of "TEME!" was heard all around Konoha that day.

* * *

**Author's Notes: So, how was that? If you are wondering about Chiyoko's hand-glove things and staff, I was thinking of what I have seen several priests wear around their arms in shows like **_**Inuyasha**_**. As you can see, Sasuke is still a jerk, but he is not evil quite yet. I made a the Third slightly OOC, but he had not had a very good day and hearing about someone he cared about dearly being attacked was the straw that broke the camel's back.**

**I want to respond to some comments I have gotten from some readers, who I sincerely thank for reviews:**

**harryPeru: I don't want to make this a harem story. I am sorry. Perhaps I will consider that the next time I write something, but for this, it will be strictly Naru/Hina.**

**VanillaIce1 : Don't worry. Kakashi will not be completely out of the picture. But, it will be a while before he is trusted with Naruto again. You will see what I mean next chapter.**

**P5yCH0: I mainly knocked out Sasuke because it was easier to write and he would have been easier to bring along if he wasn't being forced or trying to get away and out of trouble. And, rest assured, I have no plans on an OC villain anytime soon.**

**So, thank you all for your reviews! I will try to update when I can, so please be patient. ;-)**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Chiyoko: Name meaning "Child of a Thousand Generations"**_

_**Sandaime: Third**_

_**Kabuki: A form of Japanese theater.**_

_**Shinigami: Death God, the Japanese Equivalent of the Grim Reaper.**_

_**Kami: God**_

_**-Sama: Used for persons of authority, like a boss or general.**_

_**-Oji-san: Uncle**_

_**-Nee-chan: Older Sister**_

_**-Ojii-san: Grandfather**_

_**-Jiji: Grandpa**_

_**Arigato: Thank You**_

_**-Teme: Bastard**_

Please Read and Review.


	4. Chapter 3: Confessions

For the Sake of One

Chapter 3: Confessions

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I would have had the Jinchūriki put up more of a fight against the Akatsuki than they did in canon.**_

Hiruzen looked at the three shinobi in front of him. He was having Kurenai wait in the hallway outside of his office before he went to talk with her, seeing as how he had different matters to discuss with her. He carefully observed the mindset of everyone in the room. Sasuke seemed to be trying to settle on either being frustrated that he was here, curious as to what was going on, and worried that he was going to be punished for what his team did. Kakashi was acting as professional as possible, although his eyes were similar to those of someone who knew they were about to get grilled by their boss. Sakura didn't even look the Hokage in the eye and seemed to be trying to hold back tears. He wanted to confront Team Seven before he would do anything else on the matter at hand. He listened to Kakashi's report of the test, which made Hiruzen wonder what was going on in Kakashi's mind to make him think that _any_thing concerning the test would have ended well. With a heavy sigh, knowing that this would not be a pleasant affair, the Hokage began his evaluation.

"I would like to start by saying that I am disappointed in all three of you. Your actions, or lack thereof, nearly cost one young man his life today. Kakashi," Hiruzen turned his full attention to the masked Jōnin, who slightly flinched under the scrutinizing glare of his superior officer. "I am extremely displeased with the way you handled yourself in this situation. You are a seasoned ninja, for crying out loud! You have handled assassination missions; you were one of our top veteran shinobi during the Third Great Shinobi World War; you have seen more of the horrors of this world than most people nearly twice your age. Yet, despite all of your training and experience, the attack of one twelve-year-old _Genin _against her restrained teammate managed to shock you to such an extent that you were unable to assist your charge? Even if you were initially shocked, you should have at least been able to prevent Naruto from being stabbed an additional three times!"

Kakashi made a feeble attempt at defending himself. "But Hokage-sama, how was I supposed to know that she was going to attack Naruto? I didn't think that she would have taken my orders seriously…it was a test after all…"

"Then you seriously misread the situation, Kakashi-san!" the Hokage pointed out. "As a Jōnin, you should not have given that kind of an order to a newly-minted Genin with no field experience. Sakura would not have known if you were giving her a serious order or testing her. Being able to look 'underneath the underneath' is not something someone of her level could have done to the extent that you tried to 'test' her with."

The Third Hokage frowned when he saw the look on the young Uchiha's face. "I would wipe that smirk off your face, Sasuke-kun. You may have the least responsibility of everyone here, but you still are not completely in the clear, either."

"That is absurd. What did I do? I wasn't the one that stabbed the dobe. I wasn't the one that gave an order that was supposed to be a test. Besides, why am I even here? It's not like I could have done anything. I was restrained." Sasuke pointed out.

"True as that may be, Sasuke, you are not without fault here. As the so-called 'rookie of the year,' you should have figured out the meaning of the test you were given. Instead, you decided to do things on your own, and risked the well-being of your teammates to meet your own goals. The fact that you froze up when Naruto was stabbed could be expected, but not even struggling to get free of your sensei when you saw the attack continue shows me that you were either not concerned with his well-being, or that you were unable to get over the shock of what happened. In our line of work, those kinds of mentalities will either get you or your allies killed very quickly. In the world of the shinobi, you cannot afford to delay helping your team when they are under attack."

Sasuke bowed his head in humiliation. The Hokage had a point. He had been using his teammates as fodder while he tried to pass the test by himself. Even if he did have a goal to reach, he still should have helped his team, if for no other reason than to make sure they didn't hold him back. Not to mention, he and Kakashi were closer to Naruto when Sakura attacked and they should have been able to help him. It was a bit humiliating to realize that another team, who apparently was on the _other _side of the field, was able to get to Naruto faster than his own teammates.

The aging Hokage then turned his full attention to the pink-haired girl in front of him. "And you! Where do I even begin? Attacking a fellow shinobi with the intent to kill? Stabbing him, not once, not twice, but FOUR TIMES! Risking charges of murder for doing so? What in the name of KAMI were you thinking?" He saw that she was about to cry, but he was not in the mood. "Dry your tears, Haruno-san; they will not help you here."

Sakura took about thirty seconds to get her composure before answering the Hokage. "H-hokage-sama, I was told Naruto was a-a threat to the village and that he would b-bring people here that would want to h-harm the village because he, he was a demon. I was told that, if I killed him, I-I would be seen as a hero by everyone, and, and I would be on the list of wives for Sasuke-kun when the time comes to restore his c-clan…" she finished.

Needless to say, everyone in the room was shocked. Kakashi was wide-eyed at the idea that someone like Sakura would fall for such an obvious ploy. Sasuke was perturbed that someone wanted to marry him off to someone he thought of as weak just to restore his clan, but was more disturbed by the fact that someone wanted his classmate dead. Not to mention, someone thought that the ramen-eating dead-last of his class was a demon? What was that about?

Hiruzen was horrified. If any of what Sakura said was true, then there were bigger things going on than he realized. If this had merely been her following orders, he could simply strip Kakashi of his rank and force him to retire. If she simply wanted Naruto dead, he could have her executed. But, what she claimed happened was true, then not only did someone break his decree concerning Naruto, but someone wanted him dead. He had to find out for sure what was going on.

"Sakura-chan, who told you that Naruto was a threat?" the Hokage inquired, making sure to read her expression for signs of deceit.

"It w-was Councilors Mitokado and Utatane, Hokage-sama." Sakura answered.

Hiruzen was floored. His former teammates wanted Naruto dead? True, they were never his biggest supporters, but why have him killed? Why now, after all of the time that has passed? _'Homura-kun, Koharu-chan, why are the two of you trying to eliminate Naruto-kun?'_

Hiruzen decided to get to the bottom of things, but first he had to deal with Team Seven. "Now, that complicates things a bit. But, I will delve into that later. For right now, we need to deal with the matter at hand, you three. Right now, you should consider yourselves _very _lucky that Naruto survived this, or I would be having you," he pointed to Sakura while saying this, "immediately executed for murder, I would have you," he pointed at Kakashi this time, "stripped of your rank and have that eye of yours removed, and I would have you," he finally pointed at Sasuke, "reporting back to the academy for remedial training, since it is clear that there are still some things that you need to learn about being a shinobi." All three had the good sense to look ashamed at the moment.

Hiruzen sighed for the umpteenth time today. "As it stands, however, I cannot afford to lose any potential ninja right now. Our forces are still nowhere near what they were before the Kyūbi attack, and right now we need all the hands we can get. In addition, since Naruto _is_ alive, the most that anyone can be charged with right now is aggravated assault with the intent to kill a fellow ninja of the Leaf. This does not mean any of you are getting off easily, however, as all three of you are considered ninja under _my _jurisdiction now," Sarutobi stated with no hesitancy in his voice.

"Sasuke Uchiha, since you share the least responsibility out of the three assembled here, your punishment will be the lightest. You will have funds extracted from the Uchiha clan's personal accounts to pay for Naruto's medical expenses. I also would like to give you a fair warning: this test you were a part of nearly resulted in the death of your comrade because of your choices. In a real-world scenario, this could have left you alone or possibly gotten you killed. Let this be a lesson about the importance of your comrades and of the importance of working with others." Sasuke bowed his head in recognition. He knew that the punishment he received was light in comparison to what he could have received, so he was not about to ruin it by running his big mouth.

"Kakashi Hatake," Hiruzen began, but then noticed that Kakashi was about to take off his headband in resignation. "Oh, no! You are _not _getting off that easily! As I said, I cannot afford to lose shinobi right now." Kakashi sighed, but froze at the next statement. "That being said, I am seriously questioning your skills as a leader. You made serious mistakes that had life-threatening consequences. You gave orders fit only for shinobi of a higher caliber, not newly graduated children. You misread a situation and made mistakes only amateurs would have made, not seasoned veterans. As it stands, your competency is in serious question, Hatake-san."

"What are you saying, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, though he was a little nervous as to what the Hokage was planning.

"I was getting to that. Since your leadership abilities are in question, and I will not be risking the safety and well-being of another person on such an unstable team, I will be reorganizing Team Seven into a three man squad. This will be until such time as you are deemed competent enough to handle a fourth member and your team is deemed stable enough to handle a third teammate."

Kakashi was visibly unnerved. This was a greater dishonor than when his father committed suicide when he was younger. His leadership abilities, and by extension his rank as Jōnin, was being called into question. Surprisingly enough, Kakashi accepted this. He knew he screwed up, big time, and that if Naruto had died, chances were he would be in even worse shape than he was now. He could handle this. He already had a growing list of failures, but he would work to make this one right.

"As for you, Ms. Haruno," Hiruzen declared, "You are fortunate that I cannot execute you for assault. That being said, your confession disturbs me, as you are implicating my former teammates in a conspiracy to kill your classmate. It is also applied by what you said that some serious laws have been bypassed for this to occur. For that, I cannot fully fault you. But, I need to make it clear that what you did was against the law, even if you were persuaded to do so. Therefore, I am going to have ANBU take you to the Interrogation and Torture unit headquarters for questioning by our top interrogator Ibiki Morino, as well as a mind dive by one of our top interrogators. If what you said has any merit, then you will be released back into the custody of your sensei. You will then be accompanied by a pair of ANBU of my choosing to monitor your activities within the village for the next year. If, after that time has passed, it is decided that you are no longer a threat to others, you team will have a third member join. However, I will inform the two who will be tailing you that they are to execute you on sight if it is shown that you are about to pull a stunt like this again, so I would advise you to be on your best behavior. If, and this is crucial, you are found to be lying to me, you will immediately be executed for treason and attempted murder. Am I clear, Haruno?"

Sakura could only nod her head in recognition. Her punishments terrified her. This wasn't supposed to be like this! She was supposed to kill Naruto, have the elders overlook it as a misguided order by her sensei, have Sasuke-kun's mind wiped clean so that he didn't remember anything, and then live happily ever after as his wife. She realized just how much trouble she was in. This could have jeopardized her career and almost forfeited her life. She felt ashamed that she was so easily blinded, but also knew that she had a lot to be thankful of. She had a long road ahead of her, and any mistake she could make could get her killed. But, if it meant that she could be trusted again, she would do it. Not to mention, she would probably never be looked at the same way again.

"I would advise you all to consider what I have said here. I am being rather lenient considering the circumstances, but things could be worse for all of you. Consider carefully what has happened here and learn from it. Hopefully, in time, Naruto can learn to trust the three of you again. For your sakes, I hope he does. You are all dismissed. ANBU, please escort Sakura to T & I HQ, please." The Third ordered. With that, two ANBU, one in a turtle mask and the other in a bull mask, shunshin'd into the office and took Sakura. Kakashi and Sasuke bowed in respect and left the office. Hiruzen rubbed his temples to try and numb the ensuing migraine he was getting. _'Well, at least that is one problem out of the way. Now, it is time to move on to other business.' _He then asked his secretary over the intercom to send Kurenai in.

* * *

Kurenai was a little nervous. She had seen Kakashi and Sasuke walk out of the Hokage's office without their pink-haired teammate, and each was supporting a look of acceptance on their faces. It was not very comforting to the Genjutsu expert. So, it came as no surprise that she was apprehensive about meeting with the Hokage directly after Team Seven. _'Hopefully, he is in a better mood now then he was earlier.'_ thought Kurenai. She bowed in respect before taking a seat, which was offered to her by the Hokage.

"I don't mean to be rude, Hokage-sama, but why am I here?"

"Straight to the point, I see," stated Hiruzen with a smile, before setting his face in a serious mask. "First, can you please reiterate why your team was spying on Team 7? I just need some clarification."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. As I stated, my team's test was to spy on another team and gather recon without getting caught. As a tracking team, it would be an invaluable skill to be able to gather info on a target before capture so as to ensure success. I let my team pick which team they wanted to spy on. They chose Team 7 after hearing rumors about how many teams Kakashi has failed. They wanted to know how someone could fail so many teams. So, we hid at the training grounds they were using, and started to gather intel about the team in question. I believe we all know how that ended up."

There was a long pause after the explanation, which did nothing for the red-eyed woman's nerves. After a few tense minutes of waiting and watching the Hokage analyze her words, Kurenai decided to speak up. "Hokage-sama, is my team in trouble? Did we do something wrong?" She may have only been a Jōnin for about a year now, but even she didn't know if something was wrong.

Seeing the worried look on her face, Hiruzen yet again let out a sigh. "I apologize, Kurenai. This has not been a very good day for me and frankly, dealing with Team 7 has tried my patience."

"I apologize-"

"There's nothing to apologize for, Kurenai. You and your team were well within your rights to do what you did. It is a little unorthodox to spy on another team, since they are usually considered private practices. But, you do have a point in that your team would need to show skills at gathering intelligence in order to be successful trackers. Besides, if you and your team had not been there, there is a chance Naruto would have died. For that, I thank you." Hiruzen watched as she let out a breath he was sure she didn't know she was holding. "In fact, Naruto is the reason I wished to talk to you."

At her questioning glance, he continued. "As you may be able to guess, I removed Naruto from Team Seven's roster. I cannot in good conscience leave Naruto on a team where his life would be at risk. As Hokage, it is my responsibility to ensure that he would have a chance to become a skillful shinobi in a relatively safe environment. Therefore, I removed him in the hopes that he will be able to be put on a team that will be able to grow without fear of assassinations or attacks by his own teammates." He waited to see what Kurenai's reaction would be. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.

"That's all fine and good, Hokage-sama, but what does this have to do with me and my team?"

"Sharp as ever, I see. Well, since Naruto has been pulled off of Team Seven's roster, I need him placed somewhere. He cannot be a freelance ninja at his rank, and by law he can only be put under the tutelage of a _full _Jōnin rank ninja. There would certainly be choices I could make of some, but most of the candidates that I feel could take him on as a student either are not of the correct rank or have other responsibilities. I fear that giving him his own Jōnin sensei would cause havoc on the council, probably arguing favoritism towards him. The only other person qualified to take him on as a student by himself currently is running a spy network that is too important to the village for him to give up. That leaves the senseis that have already passed this year's Genin. Maito Gai would be a good choice for him, but I fear that there is little Gai would be able to teach Naruto, since his taijutsu style pretty much requires an early start, and he doesn't have any jutsu that Naruto could learn without access to the Eight Celestial Gates. My son Asuma could take him, but he is already training the next Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and adding Naruto to the mix would just be adding a fifth wheel to an already balanced team. There is nothing he could offer the trio that isn't balanced out or compensated elsewhere. Therefore, I want you to become the leader of Konoha's first ever five-man squad."

Kurenai was stunned. To lead a five man squad was a huge responsibility. The Hokage was basically implying that he trusted her enough to handle four Genin on her own. Her, a newly appointed Jōnin with little experience as a sensei to begin with, was being trusted with this. She was honored, to say the least. But, a nagging question plagued the back of her mind.

"But what could Naruto offer my team, or better yet, what could we offer him? We aren't exactly combat specialists, he doesn't exactly have any tracking skills, and I can't exactly teach him any ninjutsu, since my specialty is in genjutsu."

"I thought about that, Kurenai," Hiruzen stated. He wasn't called the Professor for nothing, after all, and he had anticipated that question beforehand. "What Naruto can offer your team is muscle. As it stands now, Kiba is really the only heavy hitter on your team. His reliance on his senses in battle could hinder him in the long-run. If you were forced into a combat situation and Kiba were to be indisposed due to a loss of his hearing or sense of smell, you team could be in trouble, since neither Hinata nor Shino are combatant-types. Naruto, on the other hand, with his mass of Shadow Clones, which he could use for tracking and recon as well as training, could become a one-man army that could give you enough time to escape or be able to formulate a plan. He could give your team a much-needed fighter that would otherwise need to be compensated through other means."

Kurenai couldn't argue with the logic. The point about Kiba had merit. When she asked for the team, she had not built it with combat in mind. She could see how being forced to fight could lead to a disaster on her part. Plus, Sarutobi did point out that Shadow Clones were first used for infiltration, so they could be used as a form of intel gathering. No matter how she looked at it, everyone benefited.

"I accept this responsibility, Hokage-sama. I will not disappoint you."

"I know that you won't, Yūhi-san. Now, I believe you need to meet with your team at the hospital to let them know what is going on, don't you agree?"

She replied with a smile. "I suppose I should."

"Then go. You are dismissed." She then bowed and left. Hiruzen then turned to the left wall and gazed upon the picture of his predecessor/successor, Minato Namikaze.

'_I hope I am beginning to amend for the mistakes I have made, Minato-kun. With any luck, this experience will make Naruto a better ninja, and hopefully a better person.'_

_

* * *

_

As the meetings were going on at the Hokage's office, Team 8 and Naruto were engaged in some lighthearted conversation about various topics of little importance. It was then that Shino decided to ask the question that had been bothering him since Naruto returned from the brink of death. "Naruto-san, I have a question for you. I have noticed that my kikaichū seem to react rather peculiarly when around you, to be more specific, around your chakra. Is there a reason for that? I know it may not be our place to know, but that combined with your healing rate indicate an outside source."

Naruto stiffened. That was the one question he didn't want to answer. Ever since he found out about the Fox, his biggest fear was of how people would react to living with him. On the one hand, he could cover it up with a lie. But, for one reason or another, he didn't really want to lie to them. Plus, someone would eventually find out anyway, either by looking at his chakra, or some other way. Not to mention, having a near-death experience made him realize how important it was to find true friends.

As an added bonus, these people saved his life. Naruto realized pretty soon after he woke up that the blurs and the eyes that he had seen belonged to the three people standing in front of his bed. Naruto didn't have many people that would put their lives on the line to save his life. No one had done that before, except for Iruka. No one had ever cared before if he lived or died so why did they? He knew that there was something different about the three of them. It was then that he decided that these people were truly his friends. As his friends, he realized, they had a right to know about him. They had a right to know his darkest secret. Even if they hated him afterwords, he had a gut feeling that told him to entrust his secret to the insect user, dog ninja, and quiet young woman. So, with a heavy heart, Naruto began his explanation.

"Do you guys remember what we were told about the Kyūbi no Yōko?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kiba asked, but was nudged by Shino to stay quiet and pay attention.

"Well, we were not told the whole truth." At their questioning glances, Naruto continued. "I mean, think about it. The Kyūbi was powerful enough to level mountains and create tsunamis with the flick of its tail, and yet one man was able to take it down when an _entire army _couldn't land a scratch. It doesn't make sense." The trio stared wide-eyed. What Naruto said made perfect sense. How could the Fourth Hokage kill something that powerful? That's when they realized that no one had ever told them _how _the Fox was killed.

Before their thoughts could run wild, Naruto went on with his explanation. "The truth is, the Fourth Hokage, for as powerful as he was, could not kill the Fox. It was too powerful. So, he had to do the next best thing. He had to seal the Fox into something. An animal or container would not have been strong enough, and an adult would have died when his system couldn't take the strain. So, he took a newborn infant and used a forbidden technique to seal the Kyūbi into the baby."

"Naruto, you tell this as if you know this personally. How is it that you know all of this?" Shino asked.

Rather than vocalize his answer, Naruto got out of his hospital bed, rather slowly by his standards since he was still sore from his attack. He lifted his gown to reveal his stomach. He built up enough chakra to make the seal visible. "I know, because I was the child used in the sealing. I am the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox." Naruto then lowered his face, so as not to see the looks on Team Eight's face. He waited for the rejection, the hatred, the fear that he knew such news would bring.

The room was silent for a few minutes while Shino, Kiba, and Hinata assimilated the information. It was a bit of a shock to believe that someone like Naruto, who always had a smile on his face and seemed to be an idiot and a dead-last, was the container of the most powerful monster to ever attack the Hidden Leaf Village. Kiba was astounded that Naruto could be sane, holding back something like that. Hinata was in tears, thinking about the burden that Naruto had to go through. She remembered how he was treated when she saw him around town when she was younger, and now things were starting to make sense to her.

However, it was Shino that made the first move. He walked over to Naruto and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, I perhaps more so than most, can somehow relate to what you are going though. How, do you ask? Because I too know what it is like to be isolated from my peers for something that was placed inside of me without my consent. My insects tend to drive people away from wanting to get to know me better. If anyone can even begin to understand what you are going though, I believe I can come close."

Naruto snapped his head back up at a speed that most would think wouldn't be humanly possible. He looked towards Shino, surprised that he wasn't running away from the "Demon Brat." Kiba was the next to speak. "Man, dude, how you aren't some psychotic murdering bastard with something like that, I will never know. Dude, I can't even imagine what you had to go through. I just, damn…."

It was Hinata's words that brought Naruto on the verge of tears. "N-naruto-kun, if anything, th-this makes you all the m-m-more admirable. To b-be forced with such a bu-burden, and t-to c-c-continue to smile, j-just shows how s-s-strong a person you are…" With that, she walked over and gave Naruto a hug. "I-I can't imagine it w-was easy to c-confide in us with y-your secret. W-w-we are s-sorry we p-pressured you, Naruto-kun, but w-we are th-thankful you trust us e-enough to share your burden." After her heart-felt speech, Kiba and Shino decided to join in. Even Akamaru jumped up on Naruto's lap after he sat back down on the bed and gave Naruto a slobbering kiss.

For Naruto, it was unlike anything that he thought it would be. He never expected acceptance when he told his greatest secret. For him, the acceptance of these three people was the beginning of a new path for him. Now, he knew that even if the rest of the village never acknowledged his existence, he knew he would always have friends in this trio of oddballs.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well, that was a long chapter to write. The hardest part was to come up with the proper punishments for Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke. I know I would have received a lot of hate mail if I had given Sasuke anything less than a light punishment. That said, I tried to find a balance between being severe and being reasonable. I hope you enjoyed that.**

**Now, before anyone complains about Team 8 accepting him too fast, keep in mind that they are hearing about the Fox from Naruto himself, not from a third party. They are going to be more sympathetic to him from hearing straight from him rather than if they heard it from, say their parents.**

**Yes, the Honorable Councilors were the ones that wanted Naruto dead. As for their full reasons, that will be explained another time.**

**The Unknown Twinkie: As you will read this chapter, Naruto will be part of the new five-man squad known as Team 8. I hope that I was able to write it well enough to understand.**

**Rose Tiger: I honestly don't see the difference when I double space my work on this site. I tried to upload two different versions where one was double spaced and they looked exactly the same, so I will stick with what works.**

**I thank you all for commenting on my story, as it helps me to know what I am doing well and what needs to be fixed. I will try to update soon, but it may be a few days since I am on spring break and heading for Vegas tomorrow. So, until next time, Enjoy!**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Kyūbi no Yoko: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox**_

_**Shunshin: Body Flicker – A technique used to travel great distances rather quickly.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	5. Chapter 4: Fallout of the Betrayal

For the Sake of One

Chapter 4: Fallout of the Betrayal

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I am nowhere near rich enough to own that.**_

After Kurenai had her meeting with the Hokage, she went straight to the hospital. When she reached the room Naruto was staying in, she was met with a heart-warming sight: her team was surrounding the blond knucklehead's hospital bed, in what seemed to be a group hug. Naruto seemed to be clinging on to Hinata for dear life, Kiba was at one side of the bed, Shino had his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and Akamaru was on his lap. It was times like this that made Kurenai wish she had a camera. _'Well, time to deliver the news. Hopefully, they will understand.'_

"Something I should know about, team?"

The teens noticed Kurenai standing in the doorway, and each reacted like they had been caught in the middle of something embarrassing. Well, except for Shino, who simply shrugged his shoulders. Kiba backed away quickly, apparently to salvage his "manliness." Hinata simply blushed crimson and stood off to Naruto's side. Giving a knowing smile, Kurenai decided to start off casually and hope for the best, since she wasn't really sure how well her team, or for that matter Naruto, would handle the news.

"So, Naruto, how are you feeling?"

"Um, I'm fine, Kurenai-san. So, are you here to take Kiba, Shino, and Hinata to practice or something?" Naruto asked, sounding disappointed.

"Actually, I am here to talk to all four of you." At the four Genin's confused expression, Kurenai decided to explain. "Naruto, I had a discussion with the Hokage about your place as a Genin."

"Wait, I'm not gonna be a ninja!?! But, but, I worked hard! I beat Mizuki-teme, it''s not my fault that I failed the second test! I was attacked!! I…."

"Naruto, calm down," Kurenai said to get Naruto's attention, "and let me explain." After she was sure that he would quiet down, she continued. "You are still a Genin. The Hokage felt that, despite what occurred today, all of you including your teammates will be given your ranks. We are in desperate need of shinobi right now, since our forces are lower than what we feel comfortable with. Therefore, you are still going to be a Genin, even though you technically didn't take the second test."

"Oh, that makes sense!" Naruto yelled. "But, wait, does that mean…"

Kurenai rubbed her temples slightly. _'At least the rest of my team is allowing me to say what I need to say. That will have to be one of the first things I teach him: patience.' _"I am getting to that, Naruto. Please try to wait until I am done." Looking sheepish, Naruto closed his mouth, but one could tell he was having troubles staying quiet. "As I was saying, all four of you are Genin. Congratulations," Kurenai stated as she watched the four Genin smirk, hoop, holler, and otherwise express their happiness about becoming official ninja. She coughed to get their attention back to her. "That being said, there was a bit of a problem with the team placements, which is what your team and I was talking about with the Hokage."

"So, Kakashi-sensei didn't want me to be his student anymore because I couldn't defend myself or something like that, huh?" Naruto asked rather dejectedly. Shino, Kiba and Hinata looked at Naruto sympathetically. It hadn't been a great day for him, so it was understandable that he didn't feel happy about not being under the guidance of the Copy-Cat Ninja.

"Not exactly, Naruto," Kurenai responded. At this, all four Genin looked confused. _'Well, time to break the news.' _"You see, the Hokage doesn't want you on a team that could get you killed if he can avoid it. Between Sakura's attack, Kakashi's incompetence, and Sasuke's attitude, he felt that keeping you on that team would do more harm than good. That is why he came to the decision that he did. As of right now, Team 7 will be a three-man team, with you removed from its roster."

Naruto was stunned. He wasn't going to be on Sakura's team? Granted, he didn't have a crush on her anymore, but it was still a little sudden. It wasn't Kakashi's fault or the teme's fault that Sakura attacked him. Heck, he didn't even want to blame Sakura. Sure, she didn't like Naruto all that well, but she didn't hate him, did she? Naruto didn't know what to think anymore.

While Naruto was contemplating whether or not Team 7 was truly as bad as the Hokage thought, the members of Team 8 were curious as to why they were here, since everything that was said so far had to deal with Naruto. It was Kiba who decided to ask the questions that were on their mind. "So, where does this leave Naruto, Kurenai-sensei? I mean, yeah, I agree that he shouldn't be on a team that is going to kill him, but what does that have to do with us?"

"I'm glad you asked, Kiba. You see, the Hokage has asked me to take on a little more responsibility. He was impressed not only by how our team handled itself, but apparently on my leadership skills as well. To put it simply, he wants me to lead Konoha's first ever five-man squad."

"Sensei, does that mean…" Shino began to ask.

"Yes, it does. Naruto, by decision of the Third Hokage, you will become the fifth member of Team 8 under my tutelage." Kurenai explained. "I hope you will be happy being a part of this team."

Each twelve year old had a different reaction. Naruto didn't know quite what to feel. First, Team 8 helped him out. Now, he was going to be a part of their team. While he was still bummed about not being a part of Team 7, he wouldn't question his Jiji's wisdom. Besides, he was at least on good terms with everyone present; well, except for Shino, who he never really talked to and so he couldn't say much. Shino raised his eyebrows in surprise. He wasn't aware that someone could have a five-man squad. He saw the logic in doing so, but it still was unusual for the Hokage to make a permanent squad that was above the usual four-man limit. Kiba smirked. He had been friends with Naruto in school and to be able to work with him sounded like it would be entertaining. _'Well, at least there won't be a dull moment,' _he thought. Hinata was on a bit of an overload. The idea of Naruto and her on the same team had been something she had dreamed of, but she never thought it would ever become a reality. So, true to who Hinata was, after hearing Kurenai's statement, she blushed up a storm, fainted and fell backwards…right into Naruto's lap. Naruto began to panic slightly.

"AH, HINATA! Are you OK? Say something! Kurenai-sensei, is Hinata gonna be alright?" Naruto asked. Shino and Kiba sweat-dropped, completely flabbergasted at his ineptitude. They were aware that Hinata was fond of Naruto, but it seemed he was either too dense or too socially inept to figure it out. Kurenai chuckled a bit at her surrogate little sister's antics, then grabbed a set of smelling salts from her pack and used them to wake Hinata up.

"Welcome back, Hinata," Kurenai said as Hinata woke up. She realized what just happened; Hinata quickly jumped off of Naruto's bed and began blushing again. "G-gomen, Naruto-kun. I-I-I don't k-know w-what came over m-m-me." She silently berated herself. _'Stupid Hinata, fainting on Naruto-kun like that, now he probably thinks you're a freak…'_

"It's OK, Hinata. It was an accident!" Naruto explained as he gave his signature smile. Hinata felt lightheaded. Naruto didn't seem upset or embarrassed; he understood her, which she was relieved of. She smiled and simply bowed. Kurenai smiled. It felt good to know that Naruto was getting along so well with his new teammates. That made what she had to do next all the more dreadful. She knew that if Naruto was going to be a working member of the team, she had to have Naruto expose his darkest secret.

"Now that the news is out of the way, Naruto, I think it is time to tell your teammates about your 'secret…'"

"H-he already told us about the K-kyūbi, Kurenai-sensei." Kurenai was absolutely stunned. She looked towards Naruto for conformation, to which he simply nodded his head. She wasn't quite expecting Naruto to tell them, and she was worried about his reasons.

"Naruto, care to explain why you told these three about the Kyūbi?"

"I can't really, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto explained. "Shino asked me about my chakra, and I couldn't think of a lie that could explain things that someone like Hinata here would be able to figure out for themselves. Plus, for some reason, I feel I can trust these guys. I mean, you all did save my life, so I can at least be honest with you, right?" Everyone smiled at this. It was a simplistic explanation, but it spoke volumes.

It was then that Kiba realized something. "Hey, that reminds me; Naruto, if you have held that gigantic bastard for so long, how come no one else has told anyone about it? I mean, I am guessing more than just the Hokage and our senseis know about this," Kiba asked with a quizzical look on his face. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"If I may, Naruto," Kurenai asked. Naruto nodded his head, deciding that she would be able to tell his new teammates better than he could. "You see, Kiba-san, there was a law put in place by the Third Hokage when Naruto was born. You see, he felt that people would treat people worse, or possibly kill him, if word spread that Naruto was the container of the Kyūbi no Yōko. So, he enacted a law that stated that no one was to talk about the fate of the Fox. It was punishable by death. He hoped that it would allow Naruto-san here to grow up normally. Obviously, the best laid plans of mice and men went aride…"

"S-so, N-naruto was supposed to grow up l-like an n-n-normal person?"

"That is exactly right, Hinata. That is why no one your age knows about the Fox. Now, we need you to understand. What Naruto and I just explained is considered an S-ranked secret. Unless someone else knows about it, you cannot tell _anyone_, understand? Doing so is punishable by death." She didn't want to scare Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, but she needed to make it clear that it was a secret. It seemed that they all accepted what was going on. "Now, if there is nothing else, it is about 6:00 PM, and I believe we should let Naruto-san get some sleep." With that, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino left the room.

"I talked with the nurses, Naruto. You should be able to be released by tomorrow afternoon. We will come back then to pick you up." She then turned to make her way out the door, but not before turning around. "Oh, and Naruto-san?"

"Yeah, Kurenai-sensei?"

"I'm glad you trust us enough with your secrets. I hope we will continue to earn that trust. Rest assured, I will do my best as your sensei to make you into a fine shinobi. Get some sleep."

"Yes, sensei," Naruto responded, before going to sleep, dreaming of better days.

* * *

Outside of the hospital, Hinata turned away from her teammates to head home for the evening. This left Kiba and Shino by themselves to think about what they just learned. Since neither was needed at home that night until later, they decided to get something to eat as team members. They both decided to eat at Yakiniku Q, a Korean barbeque restaurant in town that was quite popular.

It just so happened that, when they arrived, Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi were sitting down to eat. Chōji was a rotund young man of the Akimichi clan. His clan specialized in the Hiden techniques that involved being able to expand one's body to great sizes. He had red swirl marks on his cheeks, brown hair, and beady brown eyes. His _hitai-ate_ was worn in a way that gave him two tuffs of hair on the side of his head. He wore grey shorts, a white scarf, a green jacket, and a grey shirt with his clan's symbol on it. He also wore a pair of earrings, which everyone on his team wore now to show they were members of Team Ten. Shikamaru was from the Nara clan, a clan that specialized in Shadow techniques. He had black hair tied in a pineapple-style hairdo, brown eyes, and wore earrings similar to Chōji's. His attire consisted of a fishnet shirt with a short jacket, a _hitai-ate _on his forearm, and grey pants. Seeing their fellow comrades about to sit down, Kiba and Shino decided to join them for dinner. They exchanged pleasant conversation, including mentioning that Ino, Team 10's female teammate, had gone home early to work at her shop due to her dad being called to ANBU Interrogation for unknown reasons. Things were pretty typical up until they decided to talk about the day's tests.

"Yeah, Chōji and I had an easy test with Ino and Asuma-sensei. All we had to do is tie him up. I got him with my Shadow Possession Jutsu, Chōji rolled over him with his Human Bolder, and Ino took him over with her Mind Transfer Jutsu. It would have been too troublesome to do anything too elaborate." Shikamaru explained with the enthusiasm of a Kage dealing with paperwork.

"Yeah, it was OK," the big-boned Genin said. "So, how was your guy's test?"

Shino and Kiba gave each other side glances and nodded before getting serious looks on their faces. "Oh, it was fine, up until Naruto was stabbed four times by Sakura," Kiba answered sarcastically, with a hint of venom. Shikamaru and Chōji sat there gaping. Neither quite knew what to make of the accusation. They looked to Shino, who nodded in conformation.

"OK, I'll bite, how do you know all of this?" Shikamaru asked, now that his full attention was on the two members of Team 8. Kiba then went into the day's events, starting with Team 8's test right until they left Naruto in the hospital. He, of course, left out the part about the Kyūbi after remembering the Third's law. To say that the males of Team 10 were surprised was an understatement. Both were considered friends of Naruto's in school. They knew he could be annoying sometimes, but the idea of another classmate trying to kill him was almost unbelievable. For Shikamaru, it didn't make much sense. Sure, Sakura always made it known that she didn't _like _the blond, but attempted murder? He was sure even Ino wouldn't stoop so low as to attempt to kill another person like that. As for Chōji, he didn't know quite what to think. He never really liked Sakura. She was pushy, loud, and one of Sasuke's biggest fans. True, Ino was too, but she was at least semi-partial to Shikamaru and him due to their families being so close. It seemed Sakura couldn't stand anything having to do with the whiskered youth.

"Well, I can't say I'm not surprised. I know Sakura hates Naruto's guts, but why would she try to kill him?" Shikamaru asked.

"Honestly, we don't know. What more can be said about it? Without knowing all of the details, all we can do is attempt to move on. Whatever her reasons are, she isn't about to tell us," Shino answered.

"Well, I think we should visit him tomorrow. What do you think, Shikamaru?" Chōji asked.

"I suppose it wouldn't be so troublesome. We can ask Asuma-sensei tomorrow," the Nara answered. "Well, it's getting late. I suppose we should be heading home. C'mon, Chōji."

"Alright, later guys," Kiba yelled as he and Shino left the restaurant. The two boys had some questions that needed answers, and hopefully, they could get some ideas.

* * *

"Hey, Shika, how do you think Ino will take the news of what happened with Sakura?" Chōji asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, Chōji," Shikamaru stated. "They are rivals, but I'm not sure how she would react to Sakura being under arrest."

'_Hopefully, once she finds out, she won't make things too troublesome.' _Shikamaru thought as he and his chubby friend made their way back to their respective homes.

* * *

Hiruzen sat behind his desk with a critical look at the three individuals in front of him. It was about 7:00 PM, and right now he was trying to end his day, hopefully, on a high note. Before him were the heads of the three largest clans in Konoha: Shibi Aburame, a man who looked like every other Aburame male except for the gourd on his back that held more of his kikaichū insects; Hiashi Hyūga, the regal leader of the Hyūga clan who wore the emotionless mask that most associate with the clan; and Tsume Inuzuka, the only matriarch in Konoha who also happened to be clan head, with the same feral appearance of the rest of her clansmen, but the dress of a seasoned Tokubetsu Jōnin. Of all the meetings he had today, this was the one that Hiruzen was the most apprehensive about. He knew that each family worked together well enough, but he wanted to make sure none of them would have problems with Naruto on Team 8. "I suppose you are curious as to why you are all here, right?"

"That would be a correct assumption, Hokage-sama," Shibi seemed to remain monotone, but his posture seemed to show curiosity.

"Well, it is concerning your children…"

"As long as she doesn't embarrass the clan, and she does not drag her teammates in the muck with her, I have no problems with her being paired with an Inuzuka and Aburame," Hiashi stated coldly.

"I am glad to hear that, Hiashi-san, but that is not what I am referring to," Hiruzen said as he eyed Hiashi.

"Wait! Don't tell me that they didn't pass! If Kiba didn't pass his test-" Tsume began to say before being silenced by the Hokage.

"Actually, they all passed. However, due to circumstances with another team, all three of your children will have a fourth teammate, making their team the first five-man squad." At their quizzical look, he continued. "Because of a fear of personal safety on his part, I am forced to place Naruto Uzumaki with Team 8." He sat silently as he watched the three. Shibi didn't seem bothered by Naruto, Tsume seemed slightly surprised, but otherwise accepting, and Hiashi looked at the Hokage with a look of indifference. "I take your silence as the three of you saying that you are alright with this?"

"As I stated, as long as my daughter does not do anything to embarrass the clan, I could care less. I already abandoned her training. Besides, my clan is not so petty that we would blame Naruto for the Fox. One cannot hide much from the Byakugan, and it is plain to see that he has two different types of chakra within him," Hiashi explained. "We mostly distance ourselves to avoid being associated with a pariah."

Tsume was next to begin speaking after Hiashi. "Hey, I may have had my misgivings about the pup, but as long as he remains loyal to the village, he is under your command, so I won't question your wisdom on the matter."

"I have no issues with this, Hokage-sama," Shibi stated last.

"Thank you. I simply wished to make sure you were aware of what was going on. Now, unless you have concerns about Naruto or your children's well-being, you are dismissed," Hiruzen ordered. The sound of three 'Hai' was heard next. Hiruzen sighed in his seat. He was worried that someone would raise a stink, but apparently he underestimated the accepting nature of the clans, or at least the general indifference they seemed to show. With that last meeting done, he stood, stretched, and locked his office for the night. It was time for a good night's sleep for the Hokage, or at the very least, a good cup of soothing tea.

* * *

Sasuke sat at the edge of what he deemed "his dock." He always went here when he wanted to be by himself. As he sat there looking at the sunset, he thought about what the Hokage had told him in his office. He knew that the Hokage was always a bit partial to the blond, but he made a valid point. He was so focused on passing the test and getting stronger in order to beat his brother, Itachi who had slaughtered his entire clan, he missed the entire point of the test. He hadn't even assisted his teammate, who was only two or three feet in front of him! Had he truly been so wrapped up in trying to show off and beat Kakashi that he ignored his teammates? True, they were annoying and not very strong, but still…

Then there was Sakura. She said that she had attempted to kill Naruto to get closer to her dream. She may have been a fan girl, but she took things a little far. Was she really that crazed on wanting to achieve her own goals that she would kill her own teammate just to get what she wanted? Hell, would Sasuke do the same thing? He wasn't sure. On the one hand, he desperately needed power, the power to kill his brother. On the other hand, did Sasuke really want to go as far as his teammate, or for that matter, his brother, just to get what he wanted? Would he really kill a comrade to justify his revenge? He didn't like his answer. He realized that, before all of this, his answer would have been yes. He would even sell his soul if it meant that he could have the power to kill Itachi. Now, he realized that, if he did, he wouldn't be any different than Sakura or Itachi. He would be throwing everything away and not be able to achieve anything else if he fallowed their route. Not to mention, he would never be able to achieve his other goal if he went off to kill his brother.

Sasuke knew that his brother told him that, if he wanted to kill Itachi, he would have to hate him. He knew that, but he also knew that his brother outclassed him in every way. Hell, Sasuke hadn't even _activated _his Sharingan yet, and still his brother had a more evolved form of it, the Mangekyō Sharingan. However, in order to activate that level, he had to kill his best friend. Did Sasuke really want to have power that had that kind of price? He realized that, no, he didn't. He didn't want to end up like his brother if he could avoid it. He would find power another way. He would never use his brother's way to get power. He would not end up being like Sakura, killing a comrade just for the sake of fulfilling a dream. He looked down and saw his reflection, which for a brief moment looked like Itachi. He frowned before tossing in a rock to ripple the reflection.

'_I will never resort to your methods, Onii-san,' _Sasuke thought. _'I will become stronger another way. I will never resort to killing my fellow ninja just for power. I promise now on my name as an Uchiha.'_

_

* * *

_

Shibi Aburame walked into his clan compound to find his son waiting for him. He knew he informed Shino that he would be late, so he knew that there was something on his son's mind. "Hello, Shino."

"Otou-san, may we please talk somewhere more private? I have a few questions for you."

'_Short and to the point, just like his mother was before she passed,' _Shibi thought. "Very well, step into my office." With that, the two Aburame made it to the office and sat down. Shibi sat in his chair, while Shino ended up sitting in a chair directly opposite to his father.

"Otou-san, I am sure that you are aware of the circumstances concerning my team. How do I know, you ask? I was there when the Hokage left with Team 7 and Kurenai-sensei."

"Yes, I am aware of the circumstances you are referring to, at least partially. I was not told why Uzumaki-san was removed from Team 7, only that he would be 'safer' with your team."

"He was attacked by another of his teammates, Otou-san. Again, I was witness to this myself. Unfortunately, this is not what I wished to discuss. What may I wish to speak of? I wish to talk to you about Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Fox." This caught Shibi off guard slightly, but figured that if his son was intelligent enough to figure it out, or if he was informed by Naruto himself, that it mattered little. "I assume that Naruto told you, and that you are aware of the laws surrounding him?" With Shino nodding his head in recognition, Shibi then asked about what Shino wanted to know.

"Otou-san, I know that most clans tend to place distance from him, but I am curious as to our reasons for doing so. Naruto, perhaps more than most, understands what it is like to have something inside of him that is placed inside of him. How could we not be more supportive of him?" Shibi sighed, knowing that Shino would not give up until he had an answer. So, he asked Shino to keep silent until he was done with his long-winded explanation so that he could gather his thoughts.

"Shino, I believe you are partially misinformed. We have always tried to support Naruto. At one point, I even tried to adopt him. He could have been your brother. Unfortunately, there were two things stopping me. One, the demonic chakra that flows through him would not have been compatible with our insects. We would have lost many of our colonies if we attempted to adopt him. Secondly, the High Council felt that allowing him to be adopted by a major clan would have given that clan too much power. Nevertheless, we have done our best to try and support him in whatever way we can. Were you aware that the account that Naruto had to rely on when he received his apartment was funded by us? Probably not. Thankfully, we have only ever had one Aburame that was ever against Naruto. Do you remember your relative Torune?"

Shino nodded. "Yes. He was the member with the Nano-sized insects, correct?"

"Correct. At any rate, he used to be a Jōnin of our clan, and he even made his way into ANBU. That was up until seven years ago. One day, he was on patrol and came across Naruto Uzumaki in the village. He used his insects to try and harm Naruto. He was caught before he could do serious harm, but the attack left a scar on Uzumaki-san's left shoulder. Soon after the attack, our clan formulated a formal apology, and then we banished Torune. That is the only time anyone of our clan had ever been against Uzumaki-san."

Shino was shocked. His own relative had attacked a comrade of his, before he was even in the academy! It was something that Shino felt ashamed of, but he realized that either Naruto wasn't aware of his clan's involvement, or was trying to be kind. "Thank you, Otou-san. I was worried that our clan may have been against Naruto."

"It is alright, Shino. If it is any consolation, I did want to have you get close to him as a friend, but I figured you took after me when it comes to social situations. Sorry for not allowing you to spend more time trying to become his friend."

"It is alright. If there is nothing else, I think I will retire for the evening. Good night, Otou-san." With that, Shino left his dad's office to try to sleep, though he doubted that he would be able with all that he had learned that day.

* * *

Kiba walked through the threshold of his family's compound and asked his sister, Hana, about the whereabouts of his mother. He had a few things he needed to ask her, and he wasn't in the mood to wait. After Hana told him that she was in her room, Kiba sent Akamaru to his room to sleep while he had a talk with his okaa-san. He walked to her room and knocked, shuddering at the memory of what happened to him last time he forgot to knock. Let's just say, he saw _way _more of his mother than he ever wanted to see.

Tsume answered the door, with Kuromaru, her canine companion with an eye patch and a missing ear, at her side. "Something you need, pup?"

"Okaa-san, I need to talk to you, in private," Kiba said. Tsume got the hint and told Kuromaru that he could retire for the evening. "Yes, Tsume-chan," the large dog said before he left. Tsume then motioned for Kiba to come in and sit on the bed in the room. "OK, Kiba, what do you need?"

Kiba was silent before he began. "Okaa-san, I know about the Fox inside Naruto."

Tsume gasped. Someone had screwed up _big _time if Kiba knew. "Who told you?"

"Naruto himself did," Kiba said in an irritated tone. "Look, I don't really care about him having that thing inside of him, but I do have some questions. I know you usually stopped us from hanging out with each other when I was younger. I want to know if it had to do with the Fox. I want to know if you were any different from everyone else that ignored him!" Kiba was borderline yelling towards the end.

Tsume heaved a heavy sigh, both in relief that someone hadn't broken Hiruzen's law yet, but also out of frustration of having to explain her actions to her own son. "Kiba, you wouldn't understand…"

"That is complete B.S! Try me, unless you want me to think you have something to hide!" Kiba practically challenged his mother.

"Look, Kiba, it's nothing like that. Look, I had complete faith in the seal that the Fourth used to seal the Fox inside of him. What had me worried was just how much influence the Fox had on Naruto. Try to understand, Kiba. The Fourth Hokage was a seal expert, but the rest of us have absolutely just how much _exactly _the Fox influenced him. We were told that Naruto would have access to its chakra, but we were not told if the Fox could take control." Tsume then shed a few silent tears. "Kiba, did you know that the Kyūbi no Yōko killed your father?"

Kiba nodded his head. He had been told at a young age that his father had died to try and stall for time while the Fourth Hokage came up with the seal. "Well, that is what had me nervous. I know he is not the Fox, but I didn't want to risk that the damn demon would possess the gaki and kill you. I already lost one member of my family to that monster. I didn't want to risk losing you too!" She then started to shed a few more tears.

"Okaa-san…" Kiba said forlornly.

"Look, I'm sorry that I kept him away from you, Kiba, but I was scared. It wasn't until I was told that he was gonna be a Genin that I began to stop worrying. After all, if he will be trusted to be able to be a ninja, he is OK in my book. That said, I do not regret my actions at the time, Kiba. My fears were very real to me, and I care too much about you to let you slip away from me too."

"Look," Kiba started. "I get you were right about that, Okaa-san. But, if you knew he was not the Fox and still treated him like that, then perhaps you had less faith in your Kage then you thought. I hope you truly mean what you say, because he is not only a teammate, he is also a friend." With that, Kiba hugged a crying Tsume and went off to bed.

* * *

Hinata was sitting in the middle of a meeting with Hiashi and another member of the Hyūga council. She knew that this meeting would be about Naruto. She didn't know what her father felt about it, but hopefully he would pass it off as another indifferent circumstance. She knew that she couldn't ask about anything, since she was there mostly for her own information, not to talk.

"Hiashi-sama, do you really think it wise to allow your daughter to be associated with that Uzumaki brat? I mean, he is a pariah!" The elder exclaimed. "Not to mention the de-"

"Nao-san, I do not think it will sully our name to be associated with him anymore than having a weak heir," Hiashi cut him off before he broke the law. The last thing he needed right now was to try and figure out a cover story for Hinata. Not to mention having to execute and elder for breaking the law. However, his eldest daughter surprised him by speaking out of turn.

"F-father, I a-am al-already aware of the K-kyūbi inside of N-naruto-kun." This surpised Hiashi a bit, but decided to see just how much his eldest knew.

"How do you know, Hinata?"

"N-naruto-kun told our team today…"

"And you are fine with this?"

"Yes, father," Hinata tried to explain. "I know he i-is not the fox inc-incarnate, since he h-has two types of ch-ch-chakra."

"And you are both alright with this?" Nao asked.

"As long as he doesn't embarrass us, I could care less."

"As you wish, Hiashi-sama," Nao said as he bowed and left.

After he left, Hinata tried to control her breathing so she could talk with less of a stutter around her father. "Um, f-father…I h-have a feeling that everyone in the clan knows about Naruto-kun. If the entire clan knows the difference between N-naruto's prisoner and him, why do we not want anything t-to do with him?"

"In all honesty, Hinata?" Hiashi explained. "It is because he is an outcast. He would sully our name with his brashness and his way of life. He is simply not up to our clan's standards."

Hinata supposed that made some sense, but she didn't like it. Still, it was her father, so she knew that he would do what was best for the clan. So, rather than try to pry more information, she simply thanked him and went to bed. As she left, Hiashi smiled slightly. Beforehand, Hianta would never have been as bold as she was by talking out of turn or attempting to ask about how the clan operates. Hiashi still was not keen on being associated with the boy, but if he helped his daughter, he could take a little embarrassment here and there.

'_Perhaps this could be good for her. Only time will tell,' _Hiashi thought.

* * *

Inoichi Yamanaka was not in a pleasant mood. He just finished diving into the mind of one Sakura Haruno and was now sitting with his friend and fellow interrogator, Ibiki Morino. "Well, that was enlightening."

"What would that be, Inoichi-san?" Ibiki asked.

"Well, it seems that the Haruno girl was telling the truth," Inoichi began to state. "Whether they were truly the Honorable Elders or someone under a Transformation, I can't tell. The fact is, someone could have changed into them, and she would never have known. Plus, they were in a dark room, so a visual conformation is near impossible. With no paper trail, no other collaborating witnesses, and no other evidence to connect either Koharu or Homura to this, it means that we have little in proof concerning the deal, the meeting, everything…"

"That is just perfect. We got those two going after one lone Genin and virtually no way to prove it. The Hokage isn't going to like this," said Ibiki.

"No, he won't. Here's the curious thing, though; she seemed to have a strong disliking for Naruto, but she never wanted him dead. Somehow, she wanted him gone, but not dead. However, regardless, all we have right now is her memories and word, which is not enough to get the Councilors arrested."

"True, but it does have us keep our eyes out for someone. What about the girl?"

Inoichi set himself in a thoughtful pose before answering. "All things considered, she isn't really a threat to anyone other than Naruto right now. She is sorry for what she did, and it seems she was manipulated into doing what she did. All I can say with any absolute certainty is that she is not fully responsible for her actions. Still, she is a threat to Naruto, so for now, we will have to go with the Hokage's ruling."

"Well," Ibiki said, "I suppose we should just keep her here for tonight and simply wait until tomorrow to report to the Hokage. Why don't you head home, Inoichi? Celebrate your daughter's promotion and we can report tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Ibiki. I will. Have a good evening," Inoichi said as he left to go home, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well, another chapter done. I have to say, coming up with this much dialogue was a bit of a challenge for me. Sorry for such a delay, but having little to no reliable and cheap Internet access made things kind of difficult. Hopefully, this will mean I will be able to get to a regular update schedule soon.**

**Yes, Sasuke will be good in this fic. I decided that, since he hasn't been corrupted by Orochimaru or Madara yet, he still could change. Essentially, his reasoning boils down to this: He doesn't want to do what Sakura did and risk throwing everything away for the sake of his dream. He wants revenge, but not so much so that he will throw away everything else. It works for my universe, so I will run with it.**

**As for Sakura, I feel that she was used, not villainous. Yes, what she did was unimaginable, but she wasn't exactly doing it at random. She was coerced into doing what she did. How long it will take before she can redeem herself, only time will tell…**

**I hope you appreciated my pieces with the families. I didn't know quite where to take the Hyūga conversation, but the others were pretty well planned out and I am happy with how they turned out.**

**I need to give a big thank you to Lady Dragon for helping me to edit Chapter 3. She wanted me to alter Naruto's reasoning slightly for trusting Team 8. What she said helped and I hope you will like it too.**

**As I said, I will try to update quicker, but I cannot make any promises. I will simply do my best.**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Okaa-san: Mother**_

_**Otou-san: Father**_

_**Onii-san: Older Brother**_

_**Gomen: Sorry**_

_**Tokubetsu Jōnin: Rank just below Jōnin; usually given to someone who specializes in one field instead of being well rounded. Tsume Inuzuka is a Tracking specialist, for example.**_

_**Hai: Yes**_

_**Mangekyō Sharingan: An advanced verison of the Sharingan with numerous abilities. The genjutsu Tsukoyomi is an example of a technique unique to the Mangekyō Sharingan.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	6. Chapter 5: First Afternoon with Team 8

For the Sake of One

Chapter 5: First Afternoon with Team 8

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The closest I can come is a copy of Path of the Ninja 2 for the Nintendo DS.**_

The Hokage sat at his desk at 7:00 AM the next morning. Directly across from him were his top interrogators, Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino. Inoichi was a thirty-eight year old Jōnin of the village who was originally known for being a part of the famous formation Ino-Shika-Cho. He was dressed mostly in the standard attire of his rank, but with a red jacket over his vest, armguards on each arm, and a pale lavender _hitai-ate _on his forehead. His hair was pulled into a long blond ponytail that reached to his lower back. Sitting directly opposite was Ibiki Morino. Ibiki was a man of great psychological strength in the village. Being the top interrogator for ANBU had earned him the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin. His body was a mass of scars, which he covered with a bandana bearing the metal plate usually used on a typical _hitai-ate _and a black trench coat, completed with a pair of black combat boots.

"So, what is the verdict on Haruno-san?" The old man asked.

"Well, we interrogated her and found that she was indeed telling the truth, Hokage-sama," Ibiki reported. "However, without anything other than her testimony, I doubt that we will be able to get any sort of conviction based solely on the testimony of one Genin, especially one that attacked her comrade."

"Unfortunately, Hokage-sama, I must agree with Ibiki-san on this one. Without some form of collaborating evidence against either Homura-sama or Koharu-sama, all we have is Sakura's word," Inoichi added. Truth be told, he had mixed feelings about what Sakura did, not because of who Naruto was, but because Sakura used to be his daughter's closest confidant. He remembered telling Ino about it after he came home; of course leaving out the specifics of the case other than to say that she brutally attacked her teammate. Needless to say, Ino was in a state of shock. She may not have been friends anymore with the pinkette, due to their rivalry for the affections of a certain Uchiha, but it is not every day you hear of a former classmate being interrogated by ANBU. "With that said, Hokage-sama, what are your orders?"

Hiruzen was deep in thought. This whole fiasco was a steaming pile of crap. He had little to no evidence to convict his former teammates of any wrongdoing, his only reliable witness to their involvement was a no-name civilian-raised Genin who would have been up on charges of murder had Naruto died, and too many holes to fill. He wanted badly to see some justice for the young Uzumaki, but without solid proof of some sort of conspiracy, he could only do so much. Plus, with reports coming in of trouble involving his former student Orochimaru of the Sannin, and the lost sightings of several S-ranked criminals, Hiruzen couldn't afford to divide his attention even more on a case that would probably not see the light of day anytime soon.

With a heavy heart, Hiruzen gave his orders. "Without a solid case against them, we cannot do much. I am sorry to say that we will have to put this on the backburner until we have more evidence against them. Sakura has been dealt with, and if they are involved, they will know that and hopefully lay low for a while. For now, however, we will have to keep this hush-hush. If they think we are pressing a case, they may destroy evidence or try to concoct a story to cover their trail. I want someone to keep an eye open, but unless something becomes obvious, we downplay this as a freak incident. Am I clear?"

"Hai," was heard from both Ibiki and Inoichi. They didn't like it, but the Hokage had a point. So, it was agreed that they would downplay the incident for now, but keep the case open if more information became available.

* * *

Kakashi was walking down the early morning streets of Konoha, en route to the training grounds. The events of the previous day had him wanting to meet with his team, or in today's case Sasuke, on time rather than have them wait for hours to let him visit the Memorial Stone remembering his fallen comrades and sensei. Sakura was still technically in ANBU custody, but Kakashi found out from some of his former colleagues in ANBU that Sakura was slated to be released sometime between that afternoon and the next day. This was good in that it could mean finally getting started on team building exercises, which Kakashi felt that he urgently needed to start, but it was also bad in that it would mean having to put forth more effort to try and correct the errors of his team at a quicker pace.

Kakashi had a long night the previous night. He had met up with Asuma Sarutobi and Maito Gai, two other Jōnin who had Genin teams this year. They had noticed the previous night that Kakashi was not acting like himself and had pried into what had happened. Kakashi then went on to explain what had happened to his team. Both Asuma and Gai were shocked, both at Sakura's actions and Kakashi's oversight. They were a bit tempted to say "I told you so," but felt that things were bad enough as is. After having a long discussion about the subject, they both decided to chalk up the whole mess to a combination of crazed Genin mentalities and poor judgment. Feeling that he had heard enough, Kakashi then had left to go and try and sleep that night, which lead to this morning.

Kakashi sighed. Things were going to get bad enough for him now that the news of his-no wait, the former Team 7's-incident, would start to go through all the ranks. This was going to be a loooong few years. _'Let's hope I survive long enough to make it that far, anyways…' _the last Hatake thought to himself.

* * *

Naruto looked at the clock on the opposite side of his bed. The device read 9:30. According to the staff, he was going to be able to be released at 12:00 that afternoon. Time seemed to be so slow for him. So far, he had visits from a hysteric Iruka Umino, who was relieved that Naruto was OK, and a distraught Konohamaru Sarutobi who thought his newest rival for the seat of Hokage had died. Rest assured, Naruto had been patient with both of them and had explained that he was fine. He didn't quite want to tell them the details of what happened, mostly because he thought they already knew, but also because he had enough people breathing down his neck. He was drawn out of his thoughts with another knock at his door. "The door's open, you know?" Naruto yelled.

When the door opened, Team 10 stepped in. Shikamaru and Chōji entered first, followed by their sensei and their blond teammate. Asuma Sarutobi looked like a younger version of the Third Hokage. He had jet black hair, a black beard, and brown eyes. His uniform was typical of the standard Ninja attire, including a blue _hitai-ate, _but also included a pair of bracelets on his wrists and a sash from his time as a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, a group of shinobi that dedicated their lives to the protection of the Fire Daimyo. Ordinarily, he would be seen smoking a cigarette, but seeing as how he was in a hospital and didn't want the staff to be complaining, he was smokeless.

Ino Yamanaka was the female member of Team Ten. Her long cornflower blond hair, with a bang covering one side of her face, was accented by her sky blue eyes. She wore a purple dress as a uniform, as well as bandages covering most of her body, particularly around her waist and legs. She wore what appeared to be some sort of cloth arm guards and wore her blue _hitai-ate _around her waist like a belt. The four members of Team 10 all came in and surrounded Naruto's bed.

"So, Naruto, how're you feeling?" Chōji asked. "You know, all things considered?"

"Well, it could be worse, I suppose," Naruto answered. "I could have actually died. Seriously, you'd think I had just fought against an S-rank criminal and lost or something! So, what brings you guys here?"

"Eh, as troublesome as it is, we wanted to make sure you were still alive, numbskull. So, are you holding up OK?" Shikamaru asked his blond friend.

"Yeah, it must kinda suck to have your crush…well, you know…" Ino said, trying to be the least bit sensitive for once.

"Yeah, I'll be OK. The whole 'I'm-gonna-kill-you' thing though makes me not want to date her, though…Dattebayo," Naruto chuckled. The other occupants in the room seemed to loosen up slightly. It seemed that the incident hadn't affected Naruto's sense of humor, so that was at least a good sign. Team 10 visited Naruto for about an hour, before Asuma ushered his team out. Shikamaru simply shook his hand. Chōji left a bag of chips for him, and Asuma simply told him that, if Naruto ever needed help with something, that he could search him out and see if Asuma could help him. As they were leaving, Ino surprised everyone by walking over and giving Naruto a brief hug.

"You know, I'm still a little mad about you taking Sasuke-kun's first kiss, Naruto. But, for all that its worth, I'm glad you're OK."

"Uh, thanks, Ino…" Naruto said with a surprised look on his face. Usually, most girls avoided him, so to receive a hug from two girls in the span of twenty-four hours…well, let's just say that Naruto was having one of those moments where you wonder if you woke up in the right dimension or not. After they left, Naruto was starting to get board waiting for his new team. He figured that the old man was probably keeping Team 7 away for his safety. Naruto didn't really feel threatened by them, but he supposed that it was understandable. He figured that the old man was probably worried that someone would come in and try to attempt what Sakura had pulled. Naruto tried not to give too much thought to what had happened the day before. He had spent most of last night trying to figure out what had happened to him. He came to three conclusions:

1. He didn't really think Kakashi did anything wrong. He gave an order that was supposed to be followed. How were they supposed to know that it was also a test?

2. As much as he hated Sasuke with a burning passion, he didn't really do anything wrong.

3. He wasn't Sakura's biggest fan right now. She had betrayed him and had attempted to kill him. With that attack came the demise of any romantic feelings (or delusions depending on your perspective) he had towards the pink-haired Genin.

After another hour and a half of waiting and being checked by the nurses to see that he didn't die in his sleep, Kurenai, Hinata, Shino and Kiba came to the hospital to pick up their new teammate.

* * *

Once Naruto was checked out, Kurenai decided to try and get Naruto a new shinobi outfit and check to make sure that he had all of the supplies that he would need for his training. The doctors had told Naruto to hold off on training at least until the next day, so Kurenai decided to try and get Naruto prepared and to simply use this time to get to know each other better. At first, he protested, saying that he already had what he needed, but Kurenai insisted, so reluctantly Naruto agreed to the little shopping trip. That was when she made a note of the neon orange jumpsuit that he usually wore and was rather intrigued. She figured that it might have been his favorite color, but this was a little excessive. He seemed a little uncomfortable when she suggested the idea of replacing it with a more appropriate wardrobe, but she convinced him that it would help him in the long run. _'Still,' _she thought, _'it would be nice to know how he could possibly think that his clothes would be anywhere near what a shinobi would wear in the field.'_

Luckily for her, it was Kiba that decided to ask the question. "You know, Naruto, I wanted to know this for a while. Why do you wear that idiotic outfit of yours?"

"What, what's wrong with it?" Naruto asked, as if what he was wearing was typical for someone trained to kill you in at least one hundred different ways.

"Dude, your outfit is a neon orange jumpsuit. It screams, 'Here I am! Now, roast my ass on an open fire and use me as a living target!"

Before Naruto could bark a retort back, Shino interjected. "I must agree with Kiba-san, Naruto-san. Why, do you ask? Because there is no way you would be able to sneak around and practice stealth in a suit that is easier to spot out in a crowd than a blue butterfly in a field of moths." Any sort of retort died in Naruto's throat when he heard that. Thankfully, before he could answer, Team 8 had arrived at a local shinobi shop that sold attire and equipment for the village's shinobi forces.

"Um, I'm not sure I should go in there, guys. I don't have any money on me, and well, this place _is _kinda expensive…" Naruto trailed off. Inwardly, he didn't really want his team to witness first-hand the kind of treatment that he got from the rest of the village. It was one thing to hear about how he was ignored thanks to the Kyūbi, but it was something else entirely to see the hatred on the faces of everyone that he passed.

The other four gave Naruto a funny look. "Naruto, what are you talking about? This place has the best prices in town on stuff…" Kiba asked.

"Well, when I was in the academy, I couldn't afford new stuff most of the time because I still had to eat, so I never came here because everything here was so darn expensive. That, and like I said, I can't really afford anything in here. Why?" His new friends and sensei were rather appalled. Naruto had to choose between food, clothes and supplies? For that matter, where was he getting _used _anything? It was considered a safety hazard to recycle most ninja tools unless it was to gather them up after a training session or to melt the pieces down and re-forge material. Used equipment had a habit of breaking and shattering, which could cause injury in the field if someone was not careful.

Hinata was heartbroken at the idea that Naruto had to choose between eating and having the most basic of needs when he was growing up. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like if she were forced to live like that, not that she was spoiled, but she was better off than most. Kiba and Shino were still wrapping their minds around the idea of someone denying an Academy-level student food and ninja weapons that would be considered trivial to most anyone. Kurenai was concerned and confused. Concerned that Naruto had been given substandard equipment when he should have been able to afford everything, and confused in that Naruto said he had to choose most of the time. She was aware of the orphan allowance that the Hokage gave him before the academy, and she knew for a fact that it should have been enough to be able to get all of what he needed. Could it be that the village was price-gouging him due to the Fox? There was one way to find out, so she decided to see just how much Naruto was paying for his needs.

"Naruto, how much do you usually pay on a typical set of kunai?" Kurenai asked.

Naruto thought about it. "Well, if I can get it used, I can get a set for about 5,000 ryo. Otherwise, I have to spend 7,500 ryo on a new set," Naruto stated like he was stating his favorite flavor of ramen. After he said that, the others were giving him funny looks, like he grew a second head or something. He was slightly confused, and a tiny bit worried that he said something wrong. "What, did I say something?"

"N-naruto-kun, y-you are aware t-t-that a typical set of kunai c-costs only about 1,500 ryo, right?" Hinata shyly asked, hoping not to embarrass Naruto further. She could tell right away that finances, or lack thereof, were not something that he felt comfortable with.

Naruto sighed. He didn't exactly want pity for his life, but he realized that if he was going to be on a team with people that could easily find answers if they needed to, he wouldn't have much choice in their reactions. His life wasn't exactly one that most would call "great," but it was his life and he learned to accept it as is long ago. That didn't mean he wouldn't do what he could to change that, but he would accept things as they are. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like they were going to let him get away with it. So, he let them drag him into the store to get his things.

Upon entering the store, the clerk behind the counter chimed the familiar greeting of most shop owners. "Hello, welcome to our shop, feel free to…" The clerk stopped when she saw who she was talking to. She appeared to have a look on her face that seemed to radiate hatred like a fire radiates warmth. Team 8 was on edge, not quite knowing how the woman would react now that she saw Naruto.

"Is there a problem, miss?" Kurenai asked innocently, but subtly was staying on guard. Her team may have known about the Fox, but the Third's law was still in effect and she would enforce it if need be.

The store clerk simply put on a fake apologetic look and worded her next phrase carefully enough to not violate the law, but insulting enough to do what she needed. "Oh, I'm sorry, ninja-san, but we only serve _humans _in this shop. I will gladly serve you four, but _he," _she said while pointing at Naruto, "will have to go elsewhere." She topped the whole act with a fake smile that was as obviously as fake as the health benefits of ramen.

Naruto was about to suggest they try another store, but Kureani held her hand up to silence him. "You are aware he is a shinobi of Konoha, correct?"

"He is nothing but a monster and I have the right to refuse service to anyone I wish. Now, please leave."

Hinata looked to Kiba and Shino and nodded. "W-well, if that's the c-c-case, I-I might as well tell m-my clan that w-we Hyūga are no longer welcome a-at this e-establishment."

"I suppose Mom will be a little ticked, but we Inuzuka can manage, I guess…"

"I suppose the Aburame might as well withdraw as well. Why, do you ask? Simple, you are obviously refusing service to the clan heirs of the Aburame and Hyūga clan, as well as the son of the Inuzuka matriarch. That clearly shows that you do not want _any _of our business."

The store owner blanched. Sure, losing the business of one of those clans could have been bad, but ever since the Uchiha were exterminated, the Aburame, Hyūga, and Inuzuka had become the three most powerful clans in Konoha. To refuse service to them was both economic and political suicide. If word got out that they were refused service, it would jeopardize the shop. In an act clearly to save face, the clerk gave a hasty apology and allowed normal service to the "demon brat." Naruto was still adamant that he couldn't pay for anything, but Kurenai stated that she would be buying everything, just this once. So Naruto, with Hinata, Kiba, and Shino in tow, went to the racks to gather some clothes for a new wardrobe while Kurenai picked out his ninja kit. In the end, Naruto got a couple of tee-shirts in various designs and colors, including blue, black, and burnt orange much to his delight. He received several pairs of dark green, black and brown shinobi pants, and a dark blue coat with a thin hood and a mesh inner lining to act as a set of armor. In addition, he got a grey coat in a similar fashion to the blue one, a pair of black shinobi sandals, and a pair of black fingerless gloves with a metal plate on each hand with the insignia for Konoha on each plate. Overall, it was a drastic improvement to his old outfit.

As the team was leaving the store to go for the evening, Naruto decided to stop and thank his team. "Guys, thanks so much for all this. I promise, I will find a way to pay you all back-"

"Stop right there, Naruto." Everyone turned to Kurenai in surprise. "I already told you, I chose to pay for this. It is my way of helping you become a better shinobi. You deserve to be treated better than you are now, Naruto. If we can help it, we will find a way to start helping you more. Isn't that right, team?"

"That is correct, Naruto-san," Shino said. "We are ninja now. For you to continue to be treated like you were in the Academy is unacceptable. We are more than your teammates; we are your friends. As your friends, we will do what we can to make sure that we won't have a repeat of what happened today happen. Being denied your most basic rights is unethical and unacceptable."

"Yeah, dobe," Kiba added. "Besides, if this means your ass doesn't get us spotted in the field or force your opponent to die of laughing too hard, I think we can stand to do some roughing up once in a while, right Akamaru?" Kiba finished with a feral smile as his canine companion barked in agreement. Despite the insulting tone, Naruto knew Kiba long enough to know he was sincere, even if it sounded like a complete insult.

"B-besides, Naruto-kun, y-you shouldn't have to h-hold a-a-all of your burdens b-by yourself anymore…" Hinata trailed off.

Naruto smiled a genuine smile. Here were four people who not only acknowledged him, but were even willing to stick up for him. He had not had that before and he was enjoying every minute of it. He thanked all of his new friends and his sensei and decided to head home for the night. He was going to be able to train with his new team tomorrow, and he knew that this was going to be the start of something great…or at least better than it had been for him up until now.

* * *

From her place in the sky, Chiyoko watched the blond with a smile. _'You are certainly going in the right direction, Naruto. Now, we shall see if the bonds you will make will be able to help you on your path to your future…'_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Sorry for the long updates guys. A combination of post-Spring Break adjustments and writer's block hit me. Now that I am back in school, I will have to slow down my update times to be able to fit around my school schedule. Between having two English classes and other obligations, I simply cannot justify a daily or bi-daily update. Hopefully, once summer comes around, I might be able to go back to a fast update schedule, but I am not holding my breath…**

**I know many will be upset about not punishing the elders, but I couldn't justify it. It would have been convicting two respected members of the community of conspiracy of murder based solely on the testimony of a Genin that isn't even from a major clan. Anyone remember **_**The Crucible?**_** Yeah, didn't want to have something like **_**that **_**going on…**

**My hardest obstacle this chapter, as with this fic so far, is that I know what I wanted to do, but making the conversations both easy to read and interesting was a challenge. Other than that, I am taking criticism well, but am keeping in mind that this is **_**my **_**fic and will write it how I want. Besides, anyone who doesn't like AU needs to keep in mind that fan fiction in general **_**is **_**AU; it is taking a canon storyline and changing one little thing to completely change the outcome.**

**On another note, I will define ryo at the end here, but for the sake of not trying to fry my little mind with attempting double conversions with currency, I am going to make the exchange rate from ryo to US dollars up. Essentially, 100 ryo will be the equivalent of $1.00 US. You can figure things out from there.**

**I want to thank everyone that has reviewed so far. When I first started this, I never thought I would have gotten the response I have. I sincerely thank you all.**

**

* * *

**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Ryo: Currency. In real world terms, one ryo is equivalent to 10 Japanese yen, or approximately $0.10 in American dollars. For the sake of this story, I will not try to do the conversions myself, as it is a pain in the rear to try and do a double conversion in currency. So, in my fic for instance, I will make the value of 5,000 ryo approximately $50.00 American.**_

Please Read and Review.


	7. Chapter 6: First CRank Mission

For the Sake of One

Chapter 6: First C-Rank Mission

_**Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own the rather unusual series known as Naruto. To believe so is but a fantasy…**_

_**

* * *

**_

It had been two months since Naruto's incident with his former teammates, and so far Kurenai couldn't help but smile. It had been rough with Naruto in the beginning, mainly because there were a lot of things that he needed to be corrected on. His Shadow Clone Jutsu was a practical godsend in that regard. Something like a taijutsu kata that would have taken months to refine was done so in a matter of days, thanks to being able to use the clones. After she had explained the benefits and drawbacks of using the technique to Naruto, he almost immediately began using it in his training routine. It amazed Kurenai just how many he could create. Whereas even someone of the Hokage's level could only do about two or three at a time if they didn't want to exhaust themselves, Naruto could practically create a full army without breaking a sweat. Granted, that somewhat made him a one-trick pony, but Kurenai wanted him to perfect the basics before she gave him something more advanced, even if she _did _think that he could probably burn though any high level technique like it was a basic. The only technique she didn't have him work on was the use of the regular Clone Technique. While it had benefits for those who could manage it, the combination of the fact that he had a better cloning technique and the fact that his reserves prevented him from being able to perform the technique successfully without practically running him ragged.

Kurenai also worked a little on Naruto's habits as well. Granted, he was still mostly hyperactive and tended to rush into things, but Kurenai had worked with Naruto early on to focus on his patience. She discovered early on that Naruto was the type to rush in and work things out later, a habit that would get him killed in the field. So, she had him working on stopping to think before he acted and to learn to listen as much as he talked. It was slow and agonizing at first, but she had gotten him to the point where he wouldn't continually blurt out every five minutes about how bored he was at learning theory or an explanation of a mission. She felt that she could be at least thankful for being able to do that much.

Kurenai was also impressed with how far Naruto had gotten with working with his teammates. His initial acceptance into the group had done wonders for the blond Genin. He had been a fairly open person before, but his team was slowly but surely seeing the Naruto that was usually not seen by the rest of the world. Granted, the whole team could tell he still had his share of secrets-the one pertaining to the Kyūbi had taken a lot of guts already-but so did everyone else on the team. It was a slow process to have Naruto start opening up, but he was beginning to trust his team more with his burdens. His childhood was still a bit of a sore subject for him, but his team respected him enough to not press when they saw that he was uncomfortable. He also started to become a core member of the team. Thanks to him, Shino was more vocal-well, about as vocal as an Aburame could get. Kiba had an excellent sparring partner and rival, which was a huge benefit for Naruto since he needed someone to spar with that didn't mind scrapping occasionally. Even Hinata had begun to get her stuttering under control. She was still rather shy, but she was not nearly as bad as she had been in the Academy. Overall, Kurenai could not be happier with their progress.

* * *

Currently, she and her team were standing inside the Sandaime Hokage's office. It was about 10:00 in the morning and her team was waiting to see what missions they had to perform for the day. Over the past couple of months, Kurenai noticed that each team member seemed to be able to perform better on certain missions than others. Hinata seemed to be a natural at babysitting and gardening, but had a difficult time with taking care of large groups of people or animals. Shino also did well with gardening, but he usually scared little children. Kiba's relationships with dogs came in handy on most missions involving pets or dogs, but his short temper when it came to catching Tora or dealing with rowdy children made things difficult sometimes. Finally, Naruto seemed to excel at painting-no doubt due to his experience as a prankster- taking care of plants and, to most everyone's surprise, babysitting. Kurenai chalked that last one up to dealing with Konohamaru most of the time and figured that his experience as an orphan gave him insights into just what a child would want most of the time. However, for one reason or another, he hated pet-sitting with a passion and loathed it when it came to finding Tora. Of course, the fact that the wayward cat of the Daimyo would assault his face like a scratching post most of the time didn't really help things.

As Iruka read off the list of missions to take, Kurenai shot a look over to her students to see the looks of boredom across their faces. Shino's posture slouched slightly, but enough to signal his disinterest in events. Hinata donned her best impression of the typical Hyūga mask, which she only did when she was simply trying to get through a meeting. Kiba was paying attention to Akamaru and completely ignoring Iruka. Naruto simply stared at the Hokage with a bored expression, which didn't go unnoticed by the aging man. Hiruzen signaled for Iruka to stop before addressing Naruto. He knew that, when it came to voicing the devil's advocate of the group, Naruto was usually the one to speak.

"Naruto, you have been unusually quiet. Is something on your team's mind?"

Naruto sighed. Ordinarily, he would have simply blurted out his opinion, but his training under Kurenai had taught him that sometimes waiting and gathering your thoughts could help you win your argument, especially if you had the right support for your argument. "Well, Jiji, I just think that we are all getting bored of doing the same D-rank missions over and over again…"

"Naruto," Iruka interjected, "we've been through this before. Newly minted Genin are usually given D-rank missions for the first five or six months to give them some experience inside the safe environment of the village before entering the field. Anything higher would be overwhelming and would run the risk that you would not be able to handle the risks involved. The chance of injury or death is substantial for newly minted shinobi."

"But Iruka-sensei, wouldn't it be difficult to be able to tell how we would perform in the field if the only experience we have is in the village? How the hell does that work? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy getting my paycheck as much as everyone else does, but it's not like we're asking for an A-rank mission or anything!" Naruto tried to say in order to make a point.

Shino stepped forward to back Naruto up. "Naruto-san does make an excellent point. What is that, you ask? The point being that we can never truly know just what we are capable of until we experience things for ourselves. Logically, at some point we would have to expand our horizons. Not to mention, we have already completed twenty-two D-ranked missions already as a team."

Kiba, not wanting to be left out, threw in his two ryo. "Yeah! Besides, if we have to chase that damn cat one more time, I'm gonna end up bringing my mom a brown-furred cat-shaped pelt home. Right, Akamaru?" His companion yipped in response.

Hinata, under the stare of everyone else-apparently everyone else thought that she would say something-spoke up. "I-I believe we can handle a s-slightly higher mission. We can only t-truly know if we try, a-and if worse comes to worse, w-we will only b-be able to learn from it. W-we have come far as a team over the past t-t-two months or so, and our skills h-have improved, Hok-kage-sama…" she stated as she trailed off.

Iruka gave a curious glance to the Hokage, as if to look for some sort of support for keeping Team 8 in the village. Hiruzen, in turn, closed his eyes in deep thought. On the one hand, letting Naruto out of the village could be a problem, what with the possibilities of running into someone like Orochimaru or what not outside the village. Hiruzen knew that, if someone figured out that Naruto was the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko, someone would come in and try to either take him to be used as a weapon, or possibly killed to eliminate the possibility of Konoha using him in the future. On the other hand, he could not prevent Naruto from leaving forever. As a shinobi under his command, Naruto would have to endure the hardships of the outside world. Plus, his team did raise a good point. In nearly all of the comments that he had heard concerning the team, every person that they were hired by gave rave reviews on how well they were able to perform as a team. Ultimately, though, he knew it was up to Kurenai to decide if they were ready or not.

"Kurenai-san, do you feel that your team is ready for a higher ranked mission?" the Professor asked the Jōnin.

Kureani looked to her team and saw the determined looks in their eyes. "Honestly, Hokage-sama…I feel that they are not ready for a high-ranking mission." She paused, taking a look at their defeated posture before continuing. "That being said, I believe they could at least handle a C-rank mission. It would do all four of them some good to actually get some hands-on experience in the field, rather than trying to create those scenarios inside the village." She was rather pleased with how her team seemed to send a silent 'thank-you' to her for supporting them.

"Well, if you are sure then Kurenai, let us see what we have," the God of Shinobi responded. Hiruzen then proceeded to look through several scrolls on his desk before looking selecting one. "Ah, this one should suffice! It is a C-rank outside of Fire Country, and simple enough that you should be able to complete it in about a week or two, depending on how fast you go."

Hiruzen then proceeded to show Team Eight a map showing all of the Elemental Countries. He pointed to a peninsula that was wedged between Ta no Kuni and the land containing Takigakure no Sato, a smaller village allied with Konoha. "This is the Gufuu Peninsula. Mostly, it is a temperate climate, mostly filled with evergreen trees and mountains in the middle. Don't worry; the mountains only reach about 7,000 feet or so. It rains a lot, but there isn't truly much to worry about. In addition to that, there are miles of coastline, ideal for ports and such. Rumors amongst some of the traders that have been in Konoha lately are that there is a small town that is slowly being built along the coast. We wish to send out a small team to deliver an offer of alliance to this village. Due to the access to the ocean, we believe that obtaining an alliance could not only improve our economy, but give us access to a valuable sea port."

"This is where the five of you will come in," Hiruzen explained as he gave a different scroll to Kurenai. "I want the five of you do deliver this scroll, which contains your basic alliance papers, to this new village. I do not anticipate anything other than the usual riffraff that accompany these sorts of missions. Are there any questions?"

Shino was the first to respond. "How long do you wish for negotiations to last, Hokage-sama?"

"That is an excellent question, Shino-san. While you may not have to negotiate anything, as none of you are technically diplomats, I do not expect negotiations to last more than two or three days, five at the most."

"A-are there any laws that w-we need to be aware of, Hokage-sama?"

"I do not believe that the laws would be dissimilar to those in Konoha that I am aware of, but thank you for bringing it up, Hinata-san."

"Will we have to fight enemy ninjas?"

"That is always a possibility, Kiba-san, but unless they are at your level, I would advise you attempt to avoid a confrontation. Remember, part of being a ninja is being able to know when to fight and when to retreat to fight another day."

Naruto finally asked the question that everyone had apparently either forgotten or simply were uninterested in asking. "What is the name of this village, Jiji?"

"Ah, yes I should probably tell you all which village to go to. Thank you for reminding me, Naruto. The name of the town is Jizen-Gai. Apparently it was named for the rather charitable nature of the townspeople to help wayward travelers."

Looking to see if there were any other questions, Hiruzen could see that each member seemed to understand things fairly well. It was by no means a difficult mission, but Hiruzen felt it would be nice to give the Genin some hands-on experience in diplomacy. "Now, if there is nothing else, I would like for the five of you to leave by this afternoon. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior." Five 'Hai, Hokage-sama' statements were heard as each member bowed and turned to leave. "Oh, there is one last thing, Naruto." All five people stopped and turned around. "Since you will be outside the village on a mission, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday while you were gone." A smile brightened the blond youth's face before he stepped out the door.

Once outside, Kurenai turned to her team. "Alright, you four, listen up! I want you all to go home and pack. Just because the Hokage said we might only be gone for a week or two doesn't mean that things won't happen. I want you all to pack extra clothing, seeing as how it might rain. We won't be needing stealth necessarily for this mission, but I would ask for you not to wear something that will stand out. Take your full gear; weapons, first aid kits, and anything else you might need. Also, since we will be going along the coast, bring your swimsuit. Who knows, it is still a bit warm yet and we could stop to swim somewhere. Get something to eat, for we won't be stopping until this evening. Meet me at the North Gate at 1:15. Any questions?" All four Genin shook their heads. "Good, in that case see you then." With that, she disappeared in a swirl of leaves to go get ready.

* * *

At 1:15 in the afternoon, Team 8 assembled at the North Gate and left for Jizen-Gai. Naruto, for one, could not be happier. His team was aware of his birthday since he told them about the Fox, but to hear someone wish him a happy birthday felt even greater. It had not been much of a secret that Naruto wasn't a big fan of his own birthday, but he still usually had a small ritual to celebrate, usually involving Iruka or the Hokage going to Ichiraku Ramen to have a celebratory bowl of a special birthday ramen. But, now he was going to be able to go out of town this year! Sure, he would be on a mission, but it would be better than being holed up in his apartment all day while everyone else went to mourn the dead. After all, for Naruto, being born on a day of mourning made celebrating his birth feel slightly awkward.

For as happy as he was, though, Naruto couldn't help but be a little disheartened. There was truly only one thing he really wanted for his birthday: information. Ever since he found out from Chiyoko about how his mother was still alive, he had spent most of his free time trying to find out anything he could on his late mother. He knew it would be pointless to ask the Hokage; every time he did, Hiruzen would simply tell him that he couldn't know until he was a more accomplished ninja. He tried looking through the archives at the library for an Uzumaki, but no one was registered under that name, or at least they were not publically known. He attempted to ask some of the older adults about if they knew of another Uzumaki, but everyone he asked either couldn't recall anyone by that name or gave him a funny look. Naruto contemplated breaking into the private records, but he figured one visit to the private rooms of the Hokage and nearly getting caught was probably enough for him for one lifetime.

Still, he supposed that he should be happy. At least this year, he wouldn't be alone for the most part on his birthday. He would have Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Kurenai-sensei to at least spend time with. He was grateful for that at least. As the team began to travel north, using the trees as a quicker mode of transportation, he decided to strike up a conversation with his teammates. "So, who else is excited to be getting out of the village for a while?" Shino and Hinata simply nodded their heads, but Kiba decided to obnoxiously answer his question.

"Of course we are excited, dobe! After all, it's not like we would have anything better to do back in the village, right?"

"Sheesh, you don't have to make me sound like an idiot, inu-teme!"

"What did you just call me, dumbass!"

"Can the both of you please calm down? There is no reason to be fighting right now-"

"Oh, why don't you just stick a can of aerosol up your ass, bug-boy?" Kiba said, before Shino gave him a glare that made Kiba feel as if he was digging his own grave. "Anyways, what about you, Naruto? It must be hard having to work on your birthday…"

"Are you kidding? At least this way, I actually have some people to celebrate _with,_" Naruto said. This made Kiba hang his head in shame. He forgot that Naruto was usually alone on his birthday, so to actually have someone to celebrate with was in and of itself a good thing. Seeing that Kiba didn't have much else to say, Naruto decided to try and talk with Kurenai. "So, sensei, are we going to get some training in on this mission?"

Kurenai chuckled a little. If there was one thing she could expect from Naruto, it was that he would want to find some way to train. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Tell you what, as soon as we cross the border, we will try a new chakra control exercise, one that you will be vital to your success later on as shinobi." She smiled when she saw his face light up at the suggestion. True, it wasn't a jutsu, but there were worse things she could have them do. With that, the team continued to travel on without incident.

Two days later found Team 8 traveling towards the coast of the Gufuu Peninsula heading north. They decided to stop near a small stream for the day. "Alright, everyone, what I am going to teach you is a chakra control exercise that is similar to the Tree Walking exercise, but more difficult. For this, I am going to have to ask you to go and switch into your swimsuits, since I do not want you all to get your clothes wet."

"If it is not too much trouble, sensei, may I sit this out? I actually learned this at home soon after I learned to tree-walk. How, do you ask? My family includes the exercise in our training in order to better care for our hives. Our insects may be robust, but drenching our colonies would be detrimental to our health." Kurenai simply nodded her head in acceptance. She had a feeling that there would be some sort of legitimate excuse for not wanting to get wet.

After disappearing behind some trees to change, the other three Genin and their sensei came out of hiding. Kiba was sporting a black pair of swimming trunks with the Leaf emblem in white stitched into patterns. Hinata came out in a one-piece bathing suit that was mostly lavender with a black and blue diagonal stripe across the stomach. Kurenai was wearing a black one piece that had a stripe of red and white traveling in the opposite direction of Hinata's stripes on her swimsuit. Naruto, however, was nowhere to be found. They waited for a few minutes before Hinata called out to him. "N-naruto-kun, are you alright? I-I-is there a problem?"

"Naw, I'm fine! I just needed to find my trunks in all of my crap!" Naruto walked out from behind the tree in a pair of blue trunks with orange stripes along the sides and the Konoha swirl on the front of the left leg. He took one look at Hinata and Kurenai in their bathing suits though and was _very _tempted to hide back behind the tree. The swimming suits they were wearing were modest, but that didn't stop them from showing off their figures. In the back of his mind, as Naruto was trying to convince himself that he wasn't a pervert, Naruto noted that Hinata was a little more developed than most of the other girls around his age. Not obscenely curvy like some of the women he saw when he modeled for his Sexy Technique, but flattering for her.

Inner perversions aside, what caused a few raised eyebrows was the black muscle shirt that he had been wearing underneath his clothes earlier was still on. It was odd, since everyone else save for Shino had already changed and they knew that not getting their clothes wet was supposed to be one of the reasons that they went into their swimming gear to start with. Kurenai decided to get straight to the point and simply ask Naruto about his reasoning.

"You know, Naruto, it would probably be for the best to take your shirt off as well. I doubt any of us will think poorly of you, and we are trying to avoid getting our clothes wet." Naruto looked ready to protest, but sighed instead and looked towards the ground, not meeting the gaze of any one. This got him a few curious stares from the team, until he began to take the shirt off. He had turned around and began to take the shirt off. Once it was off, he flung it back towards his pack, but not before everyone else could gasp at what they saw. Scratched into his back horizontally were the faded kana that made up the word "murderer," as well as an unusual scarring pattern on his left shoulder, which almost looked like he had a horrible infection on that part of his body at one point. Several more intakes of air were inhaled as Naruto turned around. When he did, two feint kanji, one for "Vile" and one for "Demon," appeared on his pectoral area. Naruto turned around to look at his team, almost ashamed of what he had to show them. Hinata looked to almost be in tears, Kiba was pale and looking almost ready to throw up, and Kurenai was attempting to show indifference, but finding it increasingly hard to do so. Shino, for his part, seemed to have a stray tear, but otherwise remained silent.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"It's OK, sensei. Not many do," Naruto commented, before attempting to draw some sort of humor out to make things less depressing. "Besides, these are old and it's not like this was a regular thing for me!" Unfortunately, that came out worse than Naruto thought and just made everyone else look worse. "Eh, sorry, crappy joke, eh?"

"Naruto, dude, _please _tell me that those aren't a regular thing for you!" Kiba said in a voice that clearly showed how uncomfortable he was with the whole thing.

"What? No! Most of the time, I was ignored on my birthday. It's not like I had a mob of people chasing me down and trying to kill me on my birthday! Now, let's see, I got this one," he said as he pointed to his back, "When I was four, when one of the matrons at the orphanage decided to get a little tipsy and grabbed hold of a kitchen knife. This one," he continued as he pointed to his shoulder, "I got from some idiot ANBU when I was five. Hurt like hell, too. And these one," he finished as he pointed to his pectorals, "I got when I was six. Apparently, going to the memorial stone on one of Konoha's biggest days of morning is an absolute no-no for the 'Demon Fox of Konoha.'"

"B-b-but, Naruto-kun," Hinata asked, "doesn't your healing factor prevent you from scarring?"

Naruto seemed to look off to the side as he answered. "Just because I heal fast, doesn't mean that I don't get scars. I just avoided injury most of the time. There is a difference between accelerated and complete healing, after all."

Before anyone else could, Shino walked up to Naruto and bowed. This confused everyone, including Naruto, until he began to speak. "I sincerely apologize, Naruto-san. I believe the ANBU that gave you that scar on your shoulder was a former member of my clan. My father told me about how that member used Nano-sized insects and that he was found responsible for the attack. That member was later banished for attacking you. Had I known that you were the victim, I would have tried harder to be a friend of yours at the Academy. For that, I apologize."

Naruto simply shrugged it off. "It's not like you attacked me, Shino. I don't blame you for the attack. I am not one to just go blaming everyone for what they did to me. It doesn't change anything, and as long as something good comes out of it, I am fine. What good would it do me to just get angry about it, other than to become some brooding prick like Sasuke? Besides, I can always lie and say that it's a cool battle scar! So, don't worry so much, OK?"

Kurenai smiled. Naruto seemed to be able to forgive a lot, and it spoke volumes of his character. Just seeing how well he was able to work through things made her fell more relieved. True, he could have just been lying to save face, but Kurenai could tell that he looked genuine when he said what he said. She knew that there was probably more to it than what he said, but she was proud that he was being at least somewhat mature about things. Soon, everyone was moving on and waiting for Kurenai to begin her lesson. The rest of the day was spent learning and otherwise enjoying each other's company.

* * *

**Authors Notes: Sorry for the long update, guys. Things happen, and I got kinda busy the past month or so. I realize that is a long time for most, but I also know that those things happen. Not to mention, I had a killer writer's block. Add it up, and you get this.**

**I know some were probably expecting Naruto's first C-rank to be in Wave, but I wanted to be a little more original than that. I have an idea for what I want to do with this first mission, so don't worry. Also, try not to laugh at my names for things. It is hard enough to do dialogue, but coming up with names that don't sound stupid is more difficult than it sounds. Yeah, this chapter was mostly Team 8-centric, but that works for me. And, unfortunately for those who are expecting any major romance, I wouldn't hold my breath. They will become close friends, but I don't plan on any romance in the foreseeable future. I will probably do so after the three-year skip, but aside from that, just expect some teasing and some friendship for now.**

**I also want to reiterate a certain point I am trying to get across. I am fully aware I am not a gold-star writer. I will make mistakes, and I will probably not do very well on my first attempts. Please keep that in mind when you review. I say this because I have gotten numerous reviews from someone named Dan saying how my writing sucks and my storytelling is childish. Yes, I am aware that I am no Junior the Wolf or lord of the land of flies. Bite me.**

**Case in point: I was told that it is stupid to assume that Kakashi would miss detecting Team 8 back in chapter 1. Let's keep a few things in mind about that:**

**1. Kakashi, despite being a brilliant shinobi and great tracker in his own right, is HUMAN. He is prone to making mistakes and missing things. Brilliant he may be, but he is far from perfect. Even the best miss things.**

**2. At the time of the test, his focus was on his students, not on detecting other people's presence. He could have very well overlooked something.**

**3. Concerning his reaction to Sakura's attack: I am sure even the most hardened soldiers get caught off guard once in a while. To assume that nothing catches him off guard is poor at best. He is not an all-knowing, all-seeing god. **

**4. I am aware that my fic comes across as "fan-boyish," but if that is the case, it is only because I actually like this team. I am by no means obsessed, but they are one of my favorites.**

**I do not appreciate being insulted for how I write. Calling my writing childish and retarded is uncalled for. While I do take criticism seriously, resorting to name calling and childish insults makes me believe that you are simply bored and looking for someone else to flame. So, why don't you just go away? If you don't like what you are reading, just leave. Don't write some pointless flame. If you like what you are reading, but have a way to improve, leave a comment. Encouragement is always cool, but if you just despise something, then please don't read this fic. I do not want to read about how retarded this sounds. Sorry for that rant, but I just wanted to make a point.**

**I also want to indirectly thank authors like SincereNaruto for inspiring me to take control of my own fic. I feel that sometimes, as authors, we are tempted to make our fics too much about the audience and not enough on what we want to do. So, for that kind of inspiration, I thank you.**

**Shika The Brain: Thanks for the review. I did not mean to make him sound quite like an ass, but I felt it would be nice to get a little perspective on what he is thinking. Don't worry; he will not be like that throughout this fic.**

**Silver Warrior: That is a good idea, but I think I would like to hold off on the threats until there is actually something to threaten.**

**Rose Tiger: The whole "Sasuke-kiss-thing" was something I threw in for a comedic kick. I wasn't thinking when I was writing it, but rest assured there will be no yaoi in this fic, nor do I plan to have any in any other fic I write.**

**I want to give a shout out to Sig Uchiha for helping me with my inspiration. You have been a big help and I thank you. You have given me a lot to think about when I write and have helped me out, so I thank you.**

**Before I end, I want to let you know that I posted a poll on my profile for who you want to have Kurenai paired with. Honestly, I originally wanted to just pair her with Asuma, but some reviewers have wanted me to do something different. I will probably close the poll after the next chapter is posted, so you still have a little time. Anyways, thank you all as always! Ja Ne!**

**

* * *

**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Ta no Kuni: Land of Rice Paddies**_

_**Takigakure no Sato: Hidden Waterfall Village**_

_**Gufuu: Typhoon or Hurricane**_

_**Jizen-Gai: Literal translation as "Charity Town," mostly a town name I came up with myself.**_

_**Inu-teme: Dog Bastard**_

_**Kana: A pair of syllabaries (a set of written symbols that represent [or approximate] syllables), consisting of Hiragana, used for native Japanese words, and Katakana, used for foreign borrowings.**_

_**Kanji: Ideographs from Chinese characters**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	8. Chapter 7: A Nervous and Emotional Meeti

For the Sake of One

Chapter 7: A Nervous and Emotional Meeting

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Madara and Tobi would have been two separate people.**_

_**

* * *

**_

The date was October 8th, and Team Eight was camped out for the night in a small wooded clearing just off of the beaten path to their destination. At the rate they were traveling, they were set to arrive at Jizen-Gai at some point tomorrow morning, much to the relief of all parties. So far, things had been going well for the team. They had yet to come across any enemy shinobi or bandits, much to Kurenai's relief, their supplies had been well prepared, and baring a little rain, the weather had not been terrible. Not to mention, all four Genin had begun the water-walking exercise, although Shino and Hinata seemed to be the only ones so far that had the exercise down enough to be able to do so like it was second nature. Kiba and Naruto seemed to struggle, but then again, they also took the longest to master tree-walking as well.

It was towards the middle of the night, and Kiba and Naruto were sharing a shift at the night watch. It was decided after their meal last night that Shino and Hinata would take the first shift, and then it would be Kiba and Naruto, and finally Kurenai would stand guard until dawn's early light. For the most part, the two Genin simply sat in silence around the campfire trying to keep warm. Naruto had sent his clones out to patrol the area, which meant that Kiba and Naruto did not have to focus as much on observing the environment, which also meant that Akamaru could get some sleep in from traveling all day. After a while, Kiba grew bored of simply sitting and watching the fire dance in the makeshift pit, so he turned his attention to his teammate. He immediately noticed that the blond had a look that clearly showed that he was in deep thought over something, but as to what was anyone's guess. Kiba had noticed that, over the time that Naruto had become a member of Team 8, the hyperactive knucklehead had changed somewhat and that he thought about a lot of things that he might have otherwise ignored when they were all in the academy. Deciding what the topic of the night would be, Kiba struck up a conversation.

"So, what's on your mind, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head, as if clearing his mind of cobwebs. "It's nothing."

"C'mon, man, I know that look. There's something on your mind."

Naruto turned towards his canine-obsessed friend. "Promise not to laugh?"

Kiba gave a feral smirk. "Sure, what the hell?"

Naruto heaved out a sigh and began to speak. "Well, as crazy as it sounds, I keep getting this weird feeling. You know how I have told you guys that I don't know what happened to my mom?" At Kiba's nod, Naruto continued. "Well, for some reason, I keep getting this feeling that there might be something in this town we are going to that might be able to tell me where she might be. It's like, there is a voice telling me that the answers I seek are there. I have tried to convince myself that it's just me wishing that were the case, but that voice keeps nagging me and telling me she is closer than I think."

"So, you are saying that, in addition to a humongous fox demon that can destroy us all in your gut, you have a voice in your head saying that we are going to find out something about your family?" It was meant to be a joke, but it came across a little more incredulously than Kiba intended, if Naruto's scowl was any indication. "Look, I was just messing with you, man. Seriously though, I don't think that is all that crazy."

"You don't? Why's that?"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "Well, because it sounds to me like you are going with your gut instinct. In my family, it's accepted that sometimes your gut knows more about what's going on than you head. Just because you can't justify it, doesn't mean you can dismiss it. Who knows, there may be something there about her." With that, Kiba simply placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry, man. We'll figure things out."

With that, Naruto thanked Kiba and the two Genin returned to their watch for the night.

* * *

The team reached Jizen-Gai the next morning shortly after breaking camp and traveling on foot. Jizen-Gai was not a particularly unique town. The village was set up similar to most coastal towns in the area, with a harbor and marina in the small closed-in bay. Several small ships were floating in and out, carrying various types of cargo ranging from fish and shellfish to exotic imports. Two cliffs came up and towered over the bay, but only for about twenty feet or so. A lighthouse was seen on one of the cliffs in order to ward off ships in the fog from the cliff sides. The other had a small cottage, which was faced so that it overlooked the ocean. There were shops set up for everything from clothing and food to weapons and a few small restaurants. There was also a bank, a post office, a small non-shinobi library, and a few houses here and there for the residents. Some low walls were erected to keep most enemies outside, but any experienced ninja could have easily scaled those walls with little effort. Right now, there were only a few people roaming about here and there and beginning to start their day. The team met with the guards outside of the town and was escorted inside to meet with the town mayor, to whom they were to give the documents from the Hokage to.

When Kurenai, Shino, Hinata, Kiba, and Naruto arrived at the town hall, the secretary told the team to wait outside of the mayor's office while she let him know that they were there. After about ten minutes, the secretary allowed the Konoha ninja to enter the office. When they entered, they were greeted to an otherwise ordinary looking office, typical of a small-scale politician. Sitting behind the desk in the room was a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair with a small goatee and mustache combo. His clothing consisted of casual wear and zōri, suggesting that the mayor was probably not used to more formalized meetings. As was tradition, he began with a formal bow and introduced himself.

"Hello, my name is Daisuke, and I am the mayor of Jizen-Gai. I assume you are here representing Konoha, if your headbands are anything to go by."

"Yes we are. My name is Kurenai Yūhi, Jōnin kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato. I am here with my Genin team to deliver potential documents for you to look over in terms of an alliance with Konoha." Kurenai finished, bowed to Daisuke, and then turned towards her team, indicating that she wanted each of them to introduce themselves.

"I am Shino Aburame. It is an honor to meet your acquaintance, Daisuke-san," Shino said with a formal bow, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Name's Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my partner Akamaru!" Said canine yapped in recognition.

"I-I'm Hinata Hyūga. I-i-it's a pleasure to meet you, Daisuke-san." Another formal bow was presented to the leader.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha, dattebayo!" Unlike with the other names, which the mayor simply acknowledged with a smile and a nod, Daisuke paused at the mention of the Naruto's name. He gave an shocked look to the blond Genin, which made Naruto and company a little unnerved.

"What did you say your name was?"

Naruto looked to his team, and then to his sensei, who simply shrugged her shoulders and implied that Naruto should just play along. "Uh, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, sir."

"Do you know anything about your parents, Naruto-san?" Daisuke asked the blond demon container.

"Not really. All I know is that my dad died in the Kyūbi attack. I don't even know anything about my mother," Naruto answered, which was the truth. Hiruzen only ever told Naruto that his dad died trying to fight the Fox. The Hokage never mentioned what happened to his mom, though whether that was for keeping her identity as secret or simply not knowing her identity was debatable.

"How old are you?"

"I will be thirteen tomorrow, Diasuke-san."

"What is with the questions, if I may be so bold, Daisuke-san?" Kurenai asked with her arms crossed. She was a little anxious right now with him playing twenty questions with Naruto. This seemed to be a little more involved than simple curiosity. Call it over-protectiveness, but when it came to her students, Kurenai was not one to fool around with simple gimmicks.

Daisuke saw his error and corrected himself. "My sincerest apologies, Kurenai-san. I did not mean to sound so suspicious. It is just that we have a woman in her late thirties that lives here with the same surname as your student."

At this, everyone else in the room fell silent. The rest of Naruto's team was simply looking back and forth between Naruto and Daisuke in an attempt to see if this was some sort of trick. Meanwhile, Naruto was stunned beyond belief. There was someone else living here with the last name Uzumaki? This was just what he was looking for. He wouldn't get his hopes up that this could be his mother, but it could still be someone that was related to him. Who knows, if he was lucky, they might just have a clue as to where his mother might be. However, just as soon as that thought crossed his mind, another crossed it which made him go from ecstatic to apprehensive. Daisuke caught this and asked if something was the matter. Before Naruto could answer, Kurenai asked if perhaps her team and she could talk to Naruto alone for a moment before they could continue, to which Daisuke excused himself and exited the room.

"So, Naruto, is something wrong?" Kurenai asked. Naruto's apprehensive look didn't escape his sensei's notice, and she wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with her student.

After mulling it over in his mind for a few seconds, Naruto answered. "Well, I just thought about something, I guess. I mean, I am ecstatic that this person could be my relative, or even if I am lucky my mom. I would want nothing more than to find out if this is a relative of mine." His team nodded at that. They all knew that Naruto wanted to find out about his family, and the idea that his mom could still be alive was an exciting prospect for him. "Well, I just thought about what might happen if we meet, and this person does turn out to be my mom."

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Kiba asked the question everyone was asking.

"Well, I just wondered what might happen if we do meet. I mean, I know nothing about this woman, or about what she thinks of me. I can probably assume she knows about the Fox, since she was there when the Fourth took me for the sealing. I guess my fear is in wondering if she ran away thinking I was a monster. What if she thought I was responsible for my dad's death? What if she hates me like all the other villagers? What if she doesn't even want to see me?" Naruto asked.

Of course, no one knew how to answer that. The fact was, Naruto had some valid concerns. No one knew anything about this woman or for her reasons abandoning Naruto. Heck, they didn't even know who this person was, other than an Uzumaki. Kurenai simply walked over to Naruto and knelt down so that she was eye-level with him.

"I understand your concerns, Naruto. That said, we will all be there for support. I am sure all of us are curious about all of this. Don't worry; we will find out together." Naruto looked towards his team, who simply gave him a reassuring look. He whispered a 'thank you' before Daisuke returned.

Kurenai then turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke-san, I know our mission was to deliver those documents, but is there any way we might be able to meet this woman and perhaps learn more about her?"

"Of course you can! I was going to ask if you would all like to come meet her. Business is slow today, so we could all walk over to her cottage and have a talk. I can explain her situation on the way." With that, he led Team 8 to the mystery woman's house.

* * *

As the sextet made their way to the cottage, which was apparently the cottage that overlooked the sea on the opposite cliff of the lighthouse, Daisuke began to tell Team 8 about the woman. "She arrived here by an escort a little over a decade ago with only a few personal belongings to call her own. When we asked her where she came from, she told us that she was coming from Konoha, which was attacked by the Kyūbi no Yōko. She told us her son and husband was killed in the attack and that she simply was trying to get away from the pain and destruction cause by the demon."

"Apparently, the man who escorted her was the one that showed her the corpses of her late husband and son. She couldn't accept that her husband and son were dead, so she was taken by escort here, where we were rebuilding at the time since our village was mostly destroyed during the last Great War. She has been here since that day."

"Now, all she is doing is following the same routine. She gets up in the morning, performs some warm ups, eats breakfast, trains some more, has lunch, walks around town, and spends the afternoon either gazing out at the ocean or going through a photo album she has before having dinner and going to sleep. She pretty much has followed that routine for over a decade. I have tried to convince her to do something else, but she simply seems to be going through the motions, almost as if her life no longer has any meaning for her. That's a real pity, too. She is a rather beautiful woman, even after all these years, at least in my opinion. Still, maybe you five might just be what the doctor ordered."

They came to a stop in front of the cottage. It wasn't particularly grand, just a standard three bedroom house with a front door. There was a back porch for looking out at the sunset, or you could do so from the master bedroom. Overall, there was nothing extraordinary about the house. "Perhaps it would be best if you wait out here while I announce you. I am one of the few people she talks with on a regular basis." Receiving five nods from his guests, Daisuke walked into the cottage to find the woman.

* * *

The owner of the cottage was currently lying in an Adirondack chair on her back porch under an umbrella with a table and a cup of tea at her side. She appeared to be in her late thirties wearing a blue t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Some women would have been concerned with how they were dressed, but she didn't care right now. Her long crimson hair simply hung off of her shoulders like a curtain. Her violet eyes were presently gazing at a photo album of her personal memories. Currently, the album was flipped to a photo that she considered to be her most precious treasure. It was a picture of her holding her newborn baby son in the hospital, and now the only thing that remained of her child. She could never forget the day that he was taken from her, only to be sent to his death. Frankly, when she saw his corpse, a part of her died that day. The self she had that enjoyed things like pulling pranks and chattering with her friends was killed that day. Her favorite phrase, to never give up, meant little when she was forced to identify the remains of her family.

She was brought out of her reverie by a knock on her door. She knew automatically that Daisuke was coming by for another visit. He would always come by and try to convince her to do something, anything, to get out of her cottage. Frankly, the only thing she wanted to do now was to spend the rest of her forsaken existence in peace, but she would not turn away company, if for no other reason than to prevent herself from going insane from being left to her thoughts for too long. She placed her album on the table next to her and got up to answer the door.

"Good," she began before turning to the sundial on her porch to check the time, which read 12:37 PM, "afternoon, Diasuke-san. What can I do for you today?"

"Actually, I came to inform you that you have some guests, Kushina-san. Apparently, they are from Konoha and-"

"You know how I feel about that place, Daisuke-san. That place simply brings up too many memories for me, some very painful memories." She then turned her attention to the photo album before sitting back down and looking at the photo while she attempted to blink back a tear that threatened to fall on the page. "You know, he would have been thirteen tomorrow."

"I'm aware of your distain of Konoha, Kushina-san, but one of them is claiming to be an Uzumaki. I figured you might want to see them and see for yourself if you know them."

Kushina, as the woman was now called, was stunned. She knew for a fact that the rest of her family died when Uzu no Kuni was wiped out during one of the last upheavals of the nation. She _was _the last Uzumaki. No one else had that name; she made sure when she traveled throughout all the nations to find the rest of her family before going to Konoha. So, why would someone torture her by giving someone that name? She simply had to find out.

"Alright, I will see them. Who knows, maybe they can tell me who decided to play this sick joke on an emotionally-distressed woman," Kushina answered. Daisuke, with a pained look on his face at the tone and language Kushina used, then turned around back through the house and went to let in Team 8.

* * *

"Alright, she is willing to see you all, but be careful. Konoha brings a lot of painful memories for her, so you might want to be careful. If you need me, I will be in the living room." After giving his short speech, Daisuke went to sit on the couch in the living room while Kurenai, Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, and finally Shino walked out to the back porch. When they walked out, Naruto was up front, with Kurenai behind him, and Shino, Hinata, and Kiba with Akamaru on his head standing behind her. They felt that, with this being a meeting between Naruto and a potential relative, they would give him a little space while showing support at the same time. Giving Naruto a pat on the back, Kurenai stood back to watch as Naruto interacted with this woman. Taking a deep gulp of air to attempt to steady his nerves, Naruto began.

"E-E-Excuse me, Uzumaki-san?" Naruto wasn't sure how to start. Simply asking about who she was wouldn't help if she hated him. It was times like these that Naruto cursed himself for not being more socially adept. Hopefully, this woman, whoever she was, would not hold it against him if he had a hard time talking to her. He could safely say that he would rather be facing down one of Kurenai-sensei's genjutsu right now than facing this woman.

Kushina turned around to her speaker, hoping to begin by stating that she was not in a mood to play games. However, whatever comment she had died in her throat when she turned around to come face to face with Naruto. She completely ignored the other four people on her porch; her complete focus was on the young man in front of her. He was wearing a pair of black ninja sandals, brown shinobi pants, a burnt orange t-shirt with a blue coat. He stood at about four feet eight inches and appeared to be about twelve or thirteen years of age. A wild mess of blond hair adorned his young head, but it was his face that drew her attention. Piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into your soul and three whisker-like birth marks that adorned his cheeks made him an exact replica of her deceased son.

'_No, it can't be! I saw his body! Oh, please Kami, let this not be a trick!' _Kushina thought. She brought her hands into a ram seal and yelled out 'Kai!' in an attempt to break through any genjutsu. When she established the fact that what she was seeing was real, she was stunned.

"Um, miss…" Naruto was confused. He had no idea why this woman was acting like this. He was expecting a look of hatred, yelling, hell even a uttering of "demon" or "monster," but checking for genjutsu? Did she think he wasn't real for some reason? But before he could ask, she decided to speak again, and what came out of her mouth was not what he expected, but only hoped for.

"Sochi…" Kushina couldn't believe it. Her son, the one she thought died the night of the Fox's attack, was alive, and standing right in front of her! She didn't know how, or why, but here he was. In that moment, she didn't care that she had been lied to. She didn't care that she was forced away from her son. All she cared about in that moment was that she was standing face to face with her son. She couldn't fight her emotions much longer; this was all simply overwhelming for the former kunoichi. She began to cry as she walked towards her son with a photo album in her hand.

If Naruto wasn't nervous before, he was now. He could barely handle women normally, but now there was this woman who just called him "son," and was now crying and walking over to him with an album. He was beyond nervous; he was worried. Was she crying because she hated him like everyone else did? Was she crying because she was mad? Before his fears could get to him, though, she stopped in front of him and took out one photo to show him. He took one look at the photo in question, and what he saw forced him to begin tearing up. The photo was of the same woman that was in front of him. She had a grin that went from ear to ear in a manner that was not unlike his own foxy grin, and she was holding a blond baby. What made the baby unique, though, was that it had whisker marks on its cheeks, exactly like his. Realization hit him like a punch from Tsunade of the Sannin; this woman was his mother. He looked up to the woman in question with a pleading look in his eyes.

"K-K-K-Kaa-san?" She nodded, and immediately Naruto leapt into his mother's arms, letting almost thirteen years of frustration, depression, and loneliness finally come flowing forth as a river to a parched land. Kushina herself could no longer hold back her emotions either, while the now overflowing salt water accumulates on her cheeks. She simply kept embracing her son while repeating the same phrase over and over again: "My sochi, my beautiful baby boy…" Finally, her heart was at ease. She had a part of her life back. She had her family again. Both heaved out heavy sobs, simply letting the aches of each other's hearts finally subside as they reunited in a way even this author cannot describe.

As mother and son reunited, Team 8 stood to the side and let them have their moment. Kurenai was attempting to keep her own emotions in check, but wasn't doing a great job. The moment seemed to come straight out of some of the best family novels she had ever read. Anyone that was looking at the sight before her and didn't feel something has a serious psychological disorder, she decided. Deep down, she knew that someone upstairs was looking out for her charge. There was a reason that they were assigned this mission, and now she had a feeling she knew what that was.

Shino was also brought to tears, but at least he was hiding it better than anyone else at the moment. Kiba, on the other hand, was a mess. Kiba had tear stains that began to look like someone had added a gloss to his tattoos. When Kiba saw the raised eyebrow of his teammate, which was more out of curiosity than out of anything else.

"Stupid salt water. Got something in my eye…" was the only explanation that Shino received from the Inuzuka as he vigorously attempted to clear his vision. Truth be told, this was one of the few times that Kiba honestly didn't care that he looked like a girl bawling his eyes out the way he was; this had been something that Naruto had been looking forward to for a very long time, and the moment was simply too happy to acting macho like he usually did. He would be proud to admit today that he cried.

Hinata, on the other hand, was glad for Naruto. She was joyful that Naruto got just what he wanted for his birthday. It had not been much of a secret that Naruto didn't want much other than to know that he was appreciated and to find out about his family. So, to finally know that his mom was alive made Hinata feel as warm as a cabin with a fire in the fireplace. _'Happy Birthday, Naruto-kun. I suppose this means that you got what you wished for. Who knows, maybe someday I will too…'_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes: Another chapter done. I apologize for the long update, but midterms and readings for English got in the way. You all know how that is, right? Anyways, I want to first thank everyone who has reviewed so far. You have all been very supportive of me, and have given me encouragement when I thought that I wouldn't do very well, and for that I thank you. It also means a lot when I get support saying that I shouldn't care about flamers. Sometimes, I forget that, and it is nice to be reminded that flamers very rarely have anything good to say anyway, so thanks.**

**I also apologize for the poll. I put it up later than I should have, and I was mostly experimenting with it when I first posted the poll. In the future, when I want input via a poll, I will post it sooner. With that in mind, Iruka won out in the pole, so the pairing for Kurenai for this fic will be IruKure. Thanks to all who voted.**

**I wish to thank Shika the Brain and DayDreaming0f y0u for pointing out a mistake in my last chapter. I wrote the chapter in a hurry, and I kinda didn't take into account that women in a bathing suit would be a perfect opportunity for a little comedy. I will attempt to write that in, since that would make sense. **

**For those wondering about the mission to Wave, I will find a way to incorporate it, but I just wanted to do something else for his first outside mission. I thought this would be a nice way to start.**

**Earthdude brought up a good point about the scarring from the last chapter. I know that Naruto heals fast, but I wanted to explain that a little better. The way I see things, Kishimoto has a very abstract view of time in Naruto. Things that seem to take days could take a matter of weeks or months. To me, this is bad storytelling. I would find it hard to believe that Naruto, for instance, could bring Tsunade to Konoha, go off to find Sasuke, fight him, be entered into the hospital, and be admitted out within the span of two or three days. That is bull, considering geography and other factors. So, for the purposes of this fic, Naruto will heal fast, but he won't be surviving anything like a hole in the chest in the span of twenty-four hours. Granted, the scars will fade, but it won't be instantaneous. Besides, if you read the passage carefully, you will notice that the scars are faded, which means that they are still healing and will eventually go away, but will not fade in the blink of an eye. Small scaring maybe will heal at that rate, but not larger stuff.**

**Ronin504 pointed out to me that I am having some pacing issues. Primarily, that is because I don't want to skip around too much with the storyline, as it would make certain opportunities for writing unavailable as options for me. I will attempt to speed things up a little, but that probably won't be until after this mission is done, and maybe Wave if I decide that I want Naruto and company to go.**

**As for this chapter, I tried to do something different between Kushina and Naruto. In most fics that I have read, when they meet, Naruto is either pissed off at Kushina and wants nothing to do with her, or accepts her without question. I tried to come up with a more realistic approach by making an apprehensive Naruto. To me, I could buy that Naruto would be nervous about meeting her, if he was afraid that he was abandoned for holding the fox. If that seems a little lame, well it is only because I hold my parents in high regard and I my desire to meet them and be loved by them would far outweigh the idea of me hating them. Perhaps the ending was a little too weepy, but I think crying is not only fine, but is also a part of the human experience.**

**The interaction between Kiba and Naruto was something that I wanted to put in simply because I haven't really had much between Naruto and him, even though they are friends in canon. I will attempt to have them more like rivals and brothers, but it will be shaky until I can find a good balance.**

**Finally, there is Kushina herself. I tried to imagine what life would have been like for her if she had survived, but thought Naruto and Minato were dead. I imagine that she would probably have fallen into a deep depression and would probably have gone through the motions of life. Perhaps she would have done something more drastic, but who knows. As for her personality, I plan on developing that more next chapter, where we actually see more of the bonding between mother and son. One thing to look forward to, though, is this: if you thought Tsunade could be scary, just wait until Kushina comes to town after hearing about what Naruto's life has been like. Let us pray you are on her good side by then.**

**So, until next time, feel free to give constructive criticism and reviews. Ja ne.**

**

* * *

**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Zōri: A type of footwear similar to sandals.**_

_**Uzu no Kuni: Land of Whirlpools or Land of Eddies**_

_**Sochi: Son**_

_**Kaa-san: Mother**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	9. Chapter 8: Getting Acquainted with Kushi

For the Sake of One

Chapter 8: Getting Acquainted with Kushina

_**Disclaimer: Just as the US does not own property on Mars, I do not own Naruto.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Kurenai and Daisuke led Team 8 and the newly reunited Uzumaki family back into the cottage. Everyone present had felt their heart strings plucked when they saw the reunion of mother and son. As soon as everyone was relatively calm, Kushina offered water for everyone to drink if they were thirsty. Kurenai and Daisuke declined, saying that they wanted to try and look over the documents that the Sandaime Hokage sent. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata offered to go with her so that Naruto could get some alone time with his mom. At first, Naruto wanted to ask for them to stay, since he was a bit nervous about spending any time alone with her, but Kushina reassured him by requesting that the rest of his team be allowed to stay in her cottage until they were ready to leave. Kurenai agreed and followed Daisuke back to his office. Not really knowing what to do, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata told Naruto that they would explore the town and be back by that evening.

Naruto was a tad more nervous once he was left alone with his mother. Naruto didn't quite know where to begin when it came to this situation. He had dreamt of this moment for ages, and now that it was here, he didn't quite know where to start. He had so many questions, and yet he was apprehensive of their answers. There was just so much he wanted to know. What was she like? Did he have anything in common with her? Was she here in this seaside town this whole time? Did she know about the rest of his family? Perhaps most importantly of all, did she love him, and if so, why did she abandon him?

Kushina sat down and saw the look in her son's eyes. She could see the confusion that was building in his blue eyes. She couldn't really blame him for that; she had just as many questions running rampant in her heart and mind as well. What was he like? Did he develop any characteristics of hers or her husband's? Had anyone bothered to take care of him while she was in her exile? Not to mention the most terrifying question on her mind: Did he hate her for what she had done?

After a rather uncomfortable silence, it was Naruto that decided to speak up first. "So, um…where do you want to start, Kaa-san?"

Kushina looked up at her son. Frankly, with so many questions that she wanted to ask, she tried to narrow it down. "Why don't we start at the beginning? How about if you tell me what you life has been like, and I will tell you mine. Although, I must admit that mine probably won't be nearly as exciting as yours, considering who has been taking care of you and all…"

Naruto gave her a confused look. "Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything Kaa-san, but what are you talking about? I was forced to raise myself. Up until recently, I didn't really have anybody. Was there supposed to be someone looking after me?"

Kushina was shocked. He had to grow up alone? What about his godfather, or one of his father's students? Wasn't one of them supposed to be looking out for him? Kushina decided to get to the bottom of things.

"Naruto, are you aware of who your father was? Or that you had a godfather? Or that your father had a Genin team?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, the old man never told me any of that. He only said that he died during the Kyūbi attack and that I would be able to find out more about him when I turn sixteen or become a Chūnin. He never said that my dad had a Genin team or that I had a godfather."

Inside Kushina was fuming. Her son was forced to grow up alone, and the people that were supposed to be taking care of him were not doing so. She and Minato even told Jiraiya and Kakashi that if something were to happen to her and Minato that one of them was supposed to look out for Naruto. Kakashi, she might marginally understand if he went into a depression similar to hers – something that he had gone into when his teammate Obito Uchiha died – but Jiraiya? Oh, no, he was not slipping his way out of this one!

'_When I get my hands on that super perverted, toad-whispering, lazy good-for-nothing sack of crap, oh there will be hell to pay…' _Kushina thought, with a murderous intent.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in Hi no Kuni, at a random hot spring, was a man that appeared to be in his fifties was spying on some women bathing in a local hot spring. His _hitai-ate _was a customized one with the kanji for "Oil" written on it, which was a symbol for the Toads of Myōbokuzan. Twin red lines of war-paint were etched into his skin running from his eyes down his cheeks. A mane of wild white hair adorned his head and was tied into a ponytail. His attire was most unusual for a shinobi and consisted of a mesh undershirt, a green vest, green pants, wooden getas, and a red vest with a yellow oval on each side of the chest. A huge scroll was strapped to his back. He was none other than Jiraiya the Toad Sage, AKA the Village Madness AKA the Perverted Hermit AKA the author of the infamous _Icha-Icha _series of "adult literature."

As if on a comical cue by Fate, a chill ran up the man's spine. He looked around to see if there had been anyone that had spotted him, but found no one. The chill felt as if someone had urinated on his grave, and then dressed in drag and did a dance on it while playing some obnoxious child's tune.

'_Man, the last time I felt something like that, Dan and Tsunade nearly kicked the living crap out of me for doing research on them,' _Jiraiya thought. _'Man, why do these kinds of feelings always happen to me?'_

_

* * *

_

Naruto was starting to get a little nervous. His mother seemed to have a murderous look on her face. In the hopes of sparing whomever she was thinking of killing, Naruto decided to speak up. "Um, mom, about these guys you were talking about…"

Kushina blinked, completely forgetting that she was in the middle of a conversation. "Sorry about that, sochi, I was just thinking about what I am going to have to do with a few people that were supposed to be taking care of you if something were to happen to me or your father."

"So, is there any way you might be able to tell me more about my dad?"

"Perhaps, but I won't tell you just yet until we get back to Konoha. I would rather not blab about something that is more than likely an S-class secret and risk losing my head if you catch my drift."

"Wait, so you will be coming back with us?" Naruto asked excitingly. It was one thing to know that his mother was alive, but to hear that she wanted to return made him super excited.

Kushina gave a smirk. "Well, I_ have_ been away from the village for too long, and there are some people that I need answers from. Besides, what kind of mother finds her son after thirteen years and doesn't try to get to know him better?" Naruto smiled briefly at that, enjoying the fact that he felt wanted before settling into a depressing frown.

"So, why did you leave me, Kaa-san? Did something happen?" Naruto asked. He knew that he was being blunt, but he really didn't know of a way to ask the question in any other fashion. Frankly, he was perhaps the most curious, and the most apprehensive about this particular question. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but he knew that if he was ever going to know why he had to grow up alone and hated, he needed an answer.

What shocked Naruto was that Kushina began to cry after he asked that question. She turned away and refused to look him in the face. She then whispered her answer to him, revealing a truth Naruto was not expecting.

"…Because I thought you were dead."

Naruto was stunned. "E-excuse me?"

"Perhaps it might be easier to explain things if I told you the whole story." With that, Kushina began her tale of sorrow that was the source of the reality of her situation…

* * *

**Flashback: 13 Years**

**Location: Konoha Hospital, Room 205**

_Kushina was exhausted, but of course she had the right to be. After being in labor for eight hours, she reserved the right to not be in top condition. She had given birth to her and Minato's first child, which was a young boy that they named Naruto in honor of a character in a book by his pervert of a sensei. She could still remember chewing out Minato and saying that she did not want to go through this kind of pain again, screaming obstinacies and threatening to sterilize Minato in ways that even made some of the ANBU that guarded her husband cringe. Luckily, after a complete work day's worth of pain and suffering, the sounds of her child's first scream of life made everything seem worth it._

_She wanted to smile and be with her child, but fate apparently was on her period and acting out, because just outside the village was the rampaging form of the Kyūbi no Yōko. As soon as Minato heard about the attack the previous day, he was already trying to formulate a plan to stop the bijū. Evacuation was out of the question, since the village was so large and it would take too long to evacuate both the citizens and the shinobi. Killing the beast was not possible; being monstrosities composed primarily of super-condensed chakra made it impossible for any about of force other than another bijū able to destroy the Great Demon Fox. So, that left one option; to seal the beast within the body of an infant. He could have attempted to seal the Fox into an inanimate object, like with the __Ichibi no Shukaku of Suna or the Hachibi no Kyogyū of Kumo, but the Hachibi had a habit of needing to be sealed inside another individual as the container would never hold for any extended length of time and the Ichibi was by far the weakest of the tailed beasts._

_Kushina knew that Minato was going to ask to use their son for the process. It was considered common practice to make jinchūriki from members of a Kage's own family, and she knew that Minato did not have the heart to force any other orphan or another family to bear a burden that his own family would not carry. It was stupid logic in Kushina's mind at the time, but she realized that Minato, for all his accomplishments and fame, was still flawed by his desire to sacrifice everything for the sake of the village, even at the expense of his own happiness. That was one of the reasons that he did not marry her yet; he had wanted to wait until after his son was born so that the people of the village would not try to use his pregnant wife as a bargaining chip. Kushina of course found the whole thing was foolish; yes, using another child for the sealing could be interpreted as being uncaring and not wanting to be married was one thing, but would using Naruto and not revealing his heritage really make things any easier on him?_

_The flash of light outside signaled that Minato's plan had worked. As she predicted, the Fox was nowhere in sight, which meant that he was successful in his plan to seal the Kyūbi into her son. Now, all that was left to do was to wait until someone like Jiraiya or Kakashi came in with her son. Minutes passed, and there was not even the sound of people outside. A half an hour passed and Kushina became a little more nervous. Why was no one coming inside to tell her what was going on? Why was no one coming to tell her the bad news? Most importantly, where was her son?_

_As if to answer her silent questioning, a man in a white lab coat came in holding a bundle. Kushina recognized the man as a member of the R & D department overseen by Orochimaru. He had a forlorn look in his amber eyes which unsettled the new mother._

"_S-s-sir, what's going on? Where's my baby?"_

_The man in the coat looked towards the bundle, then towards Kushina. "I'm sorry, Kushina-san, but I have been sent by the Sandaime to inform you that your husband has passed on due to the complications of the sealing process."_

"_You didn't answer my question. I was already aware that Minato-kun would die. I am asking about my son! Where is he!" Kushina cried in hysterics._

"_Your son did not survive the sealing process. His body could not handle the strain of the immense amount of demonic chakra that the Fox contained, so the beast died with the child. I am sorry for you loss," the man finished apologetically. With that, he handed over to Kushina the body of her son. There he was, with the six whisker marks on his cheeks, blond hair and a seal on his stomach. His body was cold to the touch and even smelled of death._

_After holding the corpse of her newborn son, Kushina's world, as well as her heart, shattered. Losing her husband was one thing; she already knew that she was going to be a widow. But, losing her son was too much. She had already lost her homeland, her family, and the love of her life. Now, she was forced to bear the burden of losing her child. She did the only thing that came natural to her; she broke down. Minutes passed with no sound being heard except for a mother's sobs…_

**End Flashback**

**

* * *

**

By the time Kushina finished, she was having a difficult time keeping her composure. She would have shed more tears if her eyes were not for the fact that her eyes were beginning to dry out. She then turned to Naruto, the son she thought was dead with a pleading look.

"After I saw your body, I just couldn't take it. I couldn't stay there. The man that gave me your body offered me some assistance to pack my things so that I could be moved out of the hospital and even found some ANBU willing to help me get away from the village. I didn't think that there was anything left for me in Konoha."

Kushina then turned towards her son. "Naruto, I beg of you, please forgive me. I didn't mean to leave you alone like that for so long. I felt so numb after realizing that I would not be able to care for you. I know I should have checked to see if that baby was even you, but I was so distraught that I didn't think. I know that I don't deserve forgiveness for abandoning you, but-"

Kushina was interrupted when Naruto came around the table they were sitting at and embraced his mother. "You thought I was dead. You were given a dead body. I thought you might have been dead or simply abandoned me. The important thing now is that you and I are together again and that you love me, right?" he asked with trepidation.

Kushina nodded before returning the embrace. "Of course, and I will always love you, no matter what happens." The mother and son simply sat there and embraced each other, simply comforted in knowing that this was only the beginning.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Hiruzen was looking through a photo album that held a collection of memories he has had as Hokage. He stopped on one particular photo as he was taking his trip down memory lane. It was a photo of his successor/predecessor Minato Namikaze and his eight month pregnant lover Kushina Uzumaki. They were standing next to Hiruzen with Jiraiya in the background grinning like he just won the lottery. Despite the rather upbeat nature of the photo, it brought nothing but sadness to the aging shinobi. It was a painful reminder of the real reason that Hiruzen never told Naruto about his mother…

* * *

**Flashback: 13 Years**

**Location: Konoha Morgue**

_Hiruzen was in a forlorn mood. His predecessor, Minato Namikaze, had sacrificed himself to defeat the Kyūbi no Yōko, and now his infant son's mother was missing. She had disappeared three hours ago and had not been seen since. Hiruzen was considering calling in a squad of shinobi to try and find her when a man that Hiruzen noticed looked to be from the R & D department came and told him to follow him down to the Morgue. He met up with the same individual, who began by giving the aging Kage the horrible news._

"_Hokage-sama, I have some terrible news. The body of Kushina Uzumaki has been found."_

"_You found her body? But how is that possible? The doctors said she was healthy as an ox!" Hiruzen could not quite comprehend just how this had happened. There were no complications with her birth, and Kushina seemed fine when Minato left._

"_Apparently sir, Kushina-san received a fatal cerebral hemorrhage from a blow to the head she sustained when the hospital was hit during the attack. We have labeled her death as a casualty of the Kyūbi's attack. I am sorry, Hokage-sama."_

_Hiruzen sat down in a chair with his head in his palms. This was turning out to be the worst time in his life. He was being forced to retake the title of Hokage only a few short years after stepping down and now he had to deal with an orphaned jinchūriki that some of the villagers and some of the shinobi were asking for the death of._

**End Flashback**

**

* * *

**

Hiruzen took a drag of his pipe as he attempted to alleviate the burden on his heavy heart. He didn't have the heart to tell Naruto that both of his parents were dead. After all, how easy is it to tell a child that they truly are alone in the world? Hopefully, when Naruto was old enough to know the truth, he would be able to understand that Hiruzen simply didn't want to see him hurt.

* * *

Several hours had passed since Kushina and Naruto had their heart to heart talk. Kurenai and the rest of Team Eight had offered to help Kushina pack after hearing that she wanted to return to Konoha with everyone. Once that was decided, Kushina offered to cook everyone dinner for that night. The spread was relatively simple, since Kushina lived by herself and therefore didn't have much to begin with. The meal was a simple pot of salt ramen and some grilled fish, but everyone appreciated the meal. Naruto was almost brought to tears, as this was the first time that anyone had ever cooked a meal for him other than the Ichirakus. There was much laughter and swapping of stories for everyone.

Kushina told some stories about a team of Genin she led while she was in Konoha. Everyone was surprised that her team consisted of Yūgao Uzuki, a predominate member of the Konoha ANBU, Hayate Gekkō, a master of kenjutsu in Konoha, and in an unexpected twist, Iruka Umino. Naruto was going to have to remember that little tidbit for later when he would see Iruka-sensei next. She also told her audience that she had actually helped Konoha out a lot before she became pregnant with Naruto and had played a significant role in the war effort during the Third Great Shinobi World War. She was nicknamed "The Crimson Reaper" for appearing on the battlefield in her uniform and crimson hair and being able to kill an entire platoon of enemy combatants by herself. Her skill with a bo staff was apparently high as well, earning the acknowledgement of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist as a worthy opponent. In fact, for her duty to Konoha, the village started wearing a red spiral, a former symbol of Uzu no Kuni, on all of their uniforms. That little tidbit astounded the Genin. There had always been rumors as to why the red insignia was on their uniforms, but no one had ever been able to find out why. To hear that it was because of the woman in front of them was impressive to say the least.

Kushina, meanwhile, was listening to several stories that Team Eight had to tell of training and missions so far. She couldn't help but laugh at some of antics that her son had gotten in to. He seemed to have a strong rivalry with the Inuzuka, almost like that between two siblings, Shino seemed to be the voice of reason, and unless she missed her guess, the Hyūga girl had a crush on her sochi. She would have to explore that a little more.

Kiba unfortunately made the mistake of mentioning how Team Eight had come to be a five man squad. He told the whole story beginning to end, starting with the test and ending with the hospital visit. Needless to say, Kushina was seeing red. The idea of someone nearly killing her son made her blood boil. She was about to go and carve her name in history as killer of the legendary Copy Cat Ninja and the pink witch that decided to turn her son into a training dummy, but Naruto managed to convince her otherwise. As much as she was loathed to admit it, she couldn't bring herself to actually harm someone that Naruto had already forgiven. That did not mean though that she didn't want to meet them. Oh, she relished in the idea of striking fear into their hearts. If anyone was the wiser, one might have suspected that Kushina might have had a little Mitarashi blood in her.

Soon, everyone had grown tired and went to retire for the evening. Kurenai and Hinata retired to one of the bedrooms while Kiba and Shino offered to sleep in the living room. That left the last bed to Naruto. He tried to say that they could share, but neither of his teammates wanted to hear about it. They made their decision and they didn't want to share a bed. After that was settled, everyone slipped into their nightwear and fell asleep. It was the middle of the night when Naruto had fallen into a nightmare. He did not have them often, and rarely around his team, but they were just as painful as ever.

* * *

**Nightmare:**

_Naruto was in the middle of a faceless crowd. All around him, he could hear the insults and cruel phrases that were directed towards him. It was the same nightmare every time. No one would talk directly to him; no one would ever look at him. It was as if he was diseased and the mere idea of looking at him would make you as diseased. The insults continued to be hurled at him._

"_Atrocious Abomination!"_

"_Demented Demon!"_

"_What a pathetic excuse for a waste of space!"_

_Each insult cut deeply into Naruto. He wanted to cry, but he knew that doing that would only give the people the satisfaction of knowing that they hurt him. Besides, he had people that cared about him now. Or, so he thought…_

_As he continued to beg for someone to pay attention to, he saw a line-up of people that he was considered close with: Iruka, Kurenai, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Techui, Ayame, the Third, Shikamaru, and Chōji. He tried to ask them to look at him, to listen to him, but to no avail. All of the people present simply started to walk away, ignoring the cries for attention. Each person left with a hurtful phrase that hurt Naruto more than any wound would._

_Iruka: "I can't believe that I almost died protecting such a useless shinobi! What a disappointment!_

_Techui: "Come, Ayame. We've wasted enough of our charity on that monster. It's obvious that we will never get back what we are owed from the likes of __**him.**__"_

_Ayame: "Of course, dad. After all, how can we trust a fox like him anyway?"_

_Hiruzen: "You? Hokage? Don't be ridiculous! You will never be good enough to ever be seen as anything more than the demon you are, let alone Hokage."_

_Kurenai: "I was obviously mistaken when I took you as a student. You are and always will be a dead-last, and will never be worth my time."_

_Kiba: "Don't you get it? Foxes and dogs can never be friends!"_

_Shino: "It would not make any logical sense to be friends with a monster like you. At least our clan is useful. You cannot even claim that!"_

_Hinata: "Y-you actually think that I-i-I would want to be friends with you? I have my own problems to deal with without having to hear you complain a-all the time."_

_Shikamaru: "It's too troublesome to even talk to someone that is so much trouble to be around. C'mon, Chōji."_

_Chōji: "Man, even giving you my empty bag of chips would be beneath me."_

_Each person turned away, leaving Naruto alone again. He could feel the wall of people closing in on him, trying to block out his escape, to the freedoms of the outside of the crowd. The more he struggled, however, the more that he was sucked in. Suddenly, Naruto saw one last person, the one person that he knew would not reject him: his mother._

"_Mom! Mom, please! Look at me! Help me, please!" Naruto begged and screamed._

_She simply turned to him with a stone cold look. "Why would I help you? It's your fault that I don't have a husband anymore! It's your fault that I had to suffer for as long as I did. If it weren't for you, I could have still had a family! I HATE YOU!"_

_Naruto continued to cry as his mother walked away, leaving him at the mercy of the increasing crowd of faceless tormentors…_

**End Nightmare**

**

* * *

**

Kushina was awoken to the sounds of whimpering coming from the other room. She didn't know what the cause was for a second, until she recognized the voice as her son's voice. Throwing the covers off of herself, she crept into where Naruto was sleeping to see him tossing and turning. He was obviously in some sort of a nightmare, but she didn't know how bad it was or what it was about. She got an idea though, when Naruto started begging in his sleep.

"Kaa-san…I'm sorry, please come back…Please don't hate me! Please don't leave me…"

Kushina was heartbroken. He thought that he was going to leave him. He must have had a fear of abandonment, or at least of being alone. It broke her heart to hear her son continue to beg for her not to leave. She couldn't stand it any longer; she walked over to his bed and shook him until he awoke.

Almost immediately after he woke up, Naruto looked around, saw his mother, and dove into her arms, apologizing over and over again.

"I'm sorry that dad is gone, I'm sorry you don't have a family anymore, I'm sorry…" Naruto continued until Kushina started rubbing his back in a soothing motion and shushing him.

"Hush, now sochi. I don't hate you. You were just having a nightmare. It's going to be OK now. Come, follow me." With that, Kushina led Naruto into her bedroom. Naruto was confused at first, until she got under the covers and invited Naruto to do the same. He got into the bed with her, but didn't know why he was in her bed. Her answer came when she pulled him to her and held him close while humming to try and sooth his nerves. She could see his eyes droop to signal that he was going to fall back asleep soon, so she decided to tell him good night.

"Now, you will stay here tonight, my little Maelstrom. Sleep now. I promise that I will not leave you. You don't have to worry about being abandoned anymore. I will be here for you, for now and for always. I love you, sochi."

"I love you too, Kaa-san," Naruto whispered in a broken voice. He took a deep breath, admiring the scent of oceans and fresh linins that he could only describe as his mother's scent. For the first time in a long time, Naruto laid his head down to sleep. He didn't mind the arrangement; for once it made him feel at peace, like he was just a normal kid staying with his mother. He had one last thought before he drifted off to greener dream pastures.

'_This has been the best birthday present ever.'_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes: And so ends another chapter of **_**For the Sake of One. **_**Honestly, this was a lot harder to write with all the conversations that have happened in this chapter. I am sorry for the long update, but Final's Week and a massive case of Writer's Block had stolen my creativity from me. I appreciate your patience with me on this, since real life does have a bad habit of breaking into my writing.**

**Now, I know there has been some debate as far as whether or not Kushina would return to Konoha. To me, it would make little sense to introduce her and have Naruto meet her, only to refuse to go back. Likewise, it makes little sense to have Naruto leave Konoha, especially when he already has established himself there. It would make little sense to me to have him abandon everything he has ever known solely to live in some seaside port outside of Hi no Kuni. She may care for her son and Naruto may love his mother dearly, but to say, "Hey, I found you, so now I will abandon everything I know to live with you even though I just met you," seems off.**

**I want to thank Karasu18 for helping to bring me down a peg. I wrote a sentence last chapter that made me sound arrogant, and for that I apologize. I simply could not find a decent non-cliché way of describing the reunion. If anyone can come up with a decent non-cliché sentence that could work, please tell me. I would like to put something else there if someone else has an idea.**

**I also want to thank Kingswriter for the compliment on how I have been writing the characters for this fic. Honestly, I have been a little worried about how I have been writing each character, so it is nice to know that I am doing a decent job. That and I will try to remember not to have Shino speak a question in EVERY sentence he writes. That was my bad.**

**I received word that part of my last chapter sounded suspiciously like the story _Whirlpool Country _by Paradox Jast. I have never read the fic before and I wrote this before I checked out the story in question. Any similarities that exist between the two are purely coincidental. I just thought that I might put that out there.  
**

**Rest assured, the continuing subplot concerning the separation of the Uzumaki family will continue long into the Shippuden timeline. As you can see, Sarutobi and Kushina were both lied to. How did they pull it off? Why were they separated? And, more importantly, who is ultimately responsible? Those questions are ones that I hope will continue to be asked as I write this. I am trying not to be too predictable, so hopefully I have done a good job.**

**For those that are curious, I don't know exactly how long it took between Minato's appointment as Hokage and Orochimaru's defection, so I am having him defect shortly after the Kyūbi Attack. That is just for your knowledge.**

**Hopefully, now that I have introduced Kushina, I will be able to pick up the pace somewhat like some people have been asking. I think next chapter may be my first fight scene, but I am still debating that. Hopefully, it will be something to look forward to.**

**While you are waiting for the next chapter, take a look at my other fics and my new challenge on my profile. I have not heard from anyone on whether or not someone wants to take it or not, and my newest one shot has barely seen any attention at all. Until next time, Ja ne!**

**

* * *

**

_**Definitions:**_

_**Hi no Kuni: Land of Fire**_

_**Myōbokuzan: Mount Myoboku or "Mysterious/Exquisite Tree Mountain"**_

_**Getas: Wooden Sandles**_

_**Bijū: Tailed Beast**_

_**Ichibi no Shukaku: One-Tailed Shukaku**_

_**Hachibi no Kyogyū: Eight-Tailed Giant Ox**_

_**Kenjutsu: Swordsmanship**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	10. Chapter 9: The Reaper and the Professor

For the Sake of One

Chapter 9: The Reaper and the Professor

_**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would have given Kushina a nickname after something other than a Mexican pepper.**_

_**

* * *

**_

It took three days of traveling to return to Konoha from Jizen-Gai. Thankfully, Team Eight did not have to slow down for Kushina, as she had kept up with her training. The travel back to the village was uneventful. Mostly, it was filled with the swapping of stories and the occasional scuffle caused by Kiba and Naruto. The two young men were getting antsy about not being able to train due to Kurenai wanting to get back to the village as soon as possible with Kushina, so whenever they had a break Kiba and Naruto would try to spar, which would usually end up in the two of them brawling with each other before either Shino and Hinata or Kurenai and Kushina would break the two up. Watching the young Inuzuka and the blond was like watching two young siblings fighting over a toy, except with claws and taijutsu instead of fisticuffs.

Upon reaching the gates of Konoha after sunrise on their third day of traveling, Kurenai approached the gate guards to report that they had one person in tow in need of seeing the Hokage in addition to report a successful mission. The guards let them in after following standard procedures such as checks for disguises and conformations of identification. Kushina still had a valid ID for Konoha – she had kept it as a keepsake and a reminder of what she had lost – so she didn't have any issues getting inside the village.

As soon as the sextet began to walk to the Hokage's Tower, Kushina began to take in the sights of her old home, at least of the place she had called home after leaving Uzu no Kuni. For the most part, the village seemed unchanged, with the exception of the newer generations now inhabiting the village. Kushina did not miss the hushed whispers and hateful glares that were sent towards the way of the group, more specifically at her son. Kushina turned towards Naruto, who she could tell was trying to ignore what was going on. His team also tried to look unaffected, but they were clearly keeping an eye out. Kushina frowned. If only the unfortunate souls that looked at Naruto as the Kyūbi knew of his lineage, they would probably be begging for forgiveness and practically worshiping the ground he walked on. Not that Naruto would probably want that; he would want to earn respect, not have it handed to him on a silver platter. Still, she wished that things were at least slightly better for her child.

On the other hand, there were at least a few people that she knew cared for Naruto, and at least one that she knew would treat her son right. She caught sight of the blushing heiress gazing at her son. Kushina had talked with Kurenai in private about it, and Kurenai confirmed that the young Hyūga did indeed have a crush on Naruto, though she was too shy and insecure about her abilities as a ninja to actually do anything about it. Kurenai told Kushina about how Hinata's dream was to change her clan for the better and to be able to be strong enough to walk with Naruto as an equal. Kushina could admire that; this girl wanted to prove that she was strong; a goal that Kushina thought was excellent for a girl her age. She would have to work on the girl's confidence alongside Kurenai, but if things worked out, Kushina could begin to play matchmaker. Heaven knows that Naruto could use someone that actually showed interest in him without wanting to use him to further their own goals.

Her thoughts had been interrupted when a male villager, who was most likely in his late forties, tried to hit on her. It was obvious that everyone, Naruto and Kushina included, were uncomfortable with the situation. Of course, the man obviously didn't think twice about it. Naruto was just upset because someone dared to hit on his mother when she clearly was not interested. The group tried to ignore the potential suitor until he made a statement that made them freeze in their tracks.

"Y'know, lady, I could treat you to a nice dinner. I could also protect you. You wouldn't want to risk your life hanging around with the resident demon of Konoha…"

That was as far as he got, for as soon as he finished that statement, Kushina was behind him, her forearm pinning him to the wall from his diaphragm and a kunai to his throat, already making a red line on the throat. He wasn't bleeding, yet, but it was enough to nearly evacuate his bowels. A cold and calculated look seemed painted on her usually beautiful face. Some well-directed killing intent simply added to the already terrifying situation. Kushina leaned into his ear so that he would be the only one to hear what she had to say.

"Listen well because I am only saying this once; my son is not a demon. He never has been, and he never will be. I do not appreciate you insinuating that he would harm anyone in this village, even though he has every right to. If I _ever _hear of you or anyone else implying that he is anything else, well let's just say that not even Tsunade Senju would be able to put what's left of you back to a presentable condition. Am I clear?"

The man could only nod dumbly at her demand. He wasn't near foolish enough to think that he could get away with the same thing twice, so he quickly agreed to whatever he was told. When she finally let him go, he ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. Kushina turned around to see everyone with a look of shock and awe on their faces.

"What?"

Kiba was the first to recover. "That…was…THE HOTTEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!" That earned him a bop on the head courtesy of Kurnenai and Shino and Hinata needing to restrain Naruto, who was about to beat the living daylights out of Kiba. The rest of the trip to the tower was filled with Naruto threatening to neuter Kiba, much to the secret entertainment of Kushina and the rest.

* * *

Under a tower of paperwork sat Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was filling out more mission reports and other various trivial items when his secretary told him that Team Eight was reporting back from their mission. Hiruzen allowed the team in, only to see one person in tow. That person was someone Hiruzen was not expecting; he was staring face-to-face with that he thought was Kushina Uzumaki. Naruto attempted to gain the old man's attention with his usual flamboyant greeting, but the outburst was caught in his throat when he saw the look of anger on the man's face. His rage was identified when he stood up from his desk and glared accusingly at Kushina.

"Who are you and why are you impersonating a dead woman?" Hiruzen demanded. He did not want Naruto to be broken-hearted by the lie of someone trying to trick him. There were other ways he wanted to bring up Kushina's death, and this was not one of them. He would not have someone insult Kushina's memory by impersonating her.

Kushina scowled. "Funny, I was about to ask you why you lied to me thirteen years ago, Sarutobi-sama. After all, I was the one presented with a dead body of my son!"

"That's impossible," Hiruzen replied. "I saw your body in the morgue after the attack. You are lying, and I will see to it that-"

"I know who Naruto's father is, Sarutobi-sama. That little tidbit in and of itself should prove who I am. If not, then I can put on a display of my 'special chakra' for you…"

That statement caught Hiruzen off guard. She could be bluffing about Naruto's father, but not many knew about Kushina's chakra. Only a select few would know about that, and none were about to say anything about that.

"I see that you finally recognize me, Sarutobi-sama," Kushina remarked. She had a feeling that many would not believe her to e alive, but this was taking things a little far. Unfortunately, before she could continue the debate, a messenger hawk flew into the office with a message attached to its leg. Hiruzen opened the message and his eyes flew open in surprise.

"Is something the matter, Jiji?" Naruto asked.

"Yes there is, Naruto. Apparently, Squad Ten has encountered some issues on their mission, and are requesting back-up." Hiruzen paused in thought. He looked like he was going to regret what he was asking, but it seemed time was of the essence. "I hate to ask this, Kurenai, but would it be possible for you and your squad to head to Nami no Kuni to act as back-up for Asuma's squad? I know you just returned, but the sooner I can send back-up, the sooner they can return safely."

Kurenai looked to her team. She knew that Kiba and Naruto were close to Chōji and Shikamaru, and no one on her team looked any worse for wear, and they didn't have to fight on the way back, so they could go out on another mission. The only person that seemed a little apprehensive about leaving was Naruto. That was probably to be expected; he was just getting to know his mom, only to leave on another mission.

Sensing her son's conflict, Kushina turned around and gave him a smile. "Don't worry, sochi; I will still be here when you get back, and I need to sort some things out here anyway."

Seeing her student's resolve harden, Kurenai addressed her superior. "Team Eight can be sent out immediately, Hokage-sama."

"Good. You will have a half hour to restock on what you need before you leave. I will make sure to inform your families about the sudden change in plans. You are dismissed." Kurenai took the message from Hiruzen. Team Eight then bowed and left to restock before leaving for Nami no Kuni.

* * *

After Team Eight left, Kushina returned her gaze back to Hiruzen. "So, what's this crap about me being in a morgue?"

Hiruzen took a deep breath before launching into his explanation. "After the attack, the village began to search through the wreckage for the dead and injured. We also searched for survivors. One of the members of Orochimaru's Research and Development department came to me as we were searching to tell me that you had died from an injury that you sustained during the attack. He led me to the morgue where I saw your body laying on an examination table."

Kushina was fuming. "Well, that's just perfect. I was given Naruto's body by a member of the R & D department shortly after the attack as well. I was told that Naruto died from the sealing process and that Minato-kun died as well. So, it seems a certain snake lied to the both of us. Where is that snake bastard so I can kick his ass?"

"I'm sorry to say this, Kushina, but Orochimaru defected a few months after the attack. We found him experimenting on some 'specimens,' and he became a missing nin before he could be tried for his crimes," Hiruzen stated. He was not about to say that it was _him _that failed to catch Orochimaru; he was not about to try to explain that he could not bring himself to kill his star pupil and that, even when the perfect opportunity presented itself that Hiruzen let Orochimaru get away.

The room stayed quiet for a few minutes before Kushina began her next round of questions. "I suppose you also have an explanation for why Naruto is unaware of his heritage, or the fact that he grew up alone?"

Hiruzen looked wearily at Kushina. "After the attack, our village was fairly venerable, Kushina, and I did not want to risk Naruto becoming a larger target of either Iwa or Kumo should anyone find out about Naruto's heritage. Jiriaya had left shortly after Orochimaru defected in order to make sure that he didn't try anything else, and Kakashi requested to be put in ANBU after the attack. Many people lost something in the attack, Kushina…"

"I am aware of that, Hiruzen, but that still doesn't give people a free pass. Konoha is a ninja village, for Kami's sake! Do you really think that there would not be anyone in this village that would be willing to protect Naruto if they knew about whom Naruto's father was? Surely the Akimichi, Inuzuka, or the Nara would have supported Naruto. You had a village at your disposal, Hiruzen, and instead of standing up for Naruto and taking control of the village like you should have as Hokage, you let things slide!"

She forestalled any further arguments. "Look, I know you did your best, Hiruzen, but the point is you let things happen to Naruto that did not need to happen simply because you didn't want to take being reinstated seriously. I mean no offense, but you had choices, and ignored them simply because you felt you were too old for the job. You let your Will of Fire burn out for reasons that should not have mattered."

Hiruzen knew she was right. He had let things slide for reasons that, when he looked back upon those choices, were petty. He had refused to correct his mistakes and had let his councilors make decisions for him because he was too lazy to actually make those changes for himself. He had been using his age as an excuse for too long.

"You're correct, Kushina. I let my age become my scapegoat and rationale for the mistakes I have made. Instead of taking responsibility as Hokage, I claimed that my age prevented me from taking direct action. For that, I will admit that I have failed Naruto, as well as those that have come before me."

"Does this mean that you will let me tell him about his father when he returns, or will you bar me from that as well?"

"It is your prerogative, Kushina. I was going to wait until he became a chūnin, so that he could face his father's enemies, but he does have a right to know about him."

Kushina pondered her next question. "Is there anyone else that I should probably talk to Hiruzen? I know that Naruto wanted me to meet the Ichirakus, though I doubt he knows of his connection to them, and I am sure that Iruka would like to know his sensei is back in town, and I already heard about the Massacre, so I doubt Mikoto-chan is still alive to talk to. Better yet, I want to talk to Kakashi and Jiriaya myself before I meet anyone else."

"Well, Jiriaya left two days ago for another mission and won't be back until around the Chūnin Exams, and Kakashi should probably be at the memorial stone like he usually does before meeting his team. As for others to talk to, you may want to know that Yūgao is also on a mission with her team, as is Hayate. The Aburame supported Naruto, so you may want to talk to Shibi Aburame. Other that those, I cannot think of anyone. I assume you also want to move back into your former household?"

"Yes, I think Naruto has lived by himself long enough. It is time he had a proper home, not an apartment that he lives in. If he is to know of his father, he will need all that will be entailed. That includes his father's house."

"Very well. I will have a squad of my trusted ANBU take Minato's things from the vault and bring them to the house. I will also see to it that you receive anything that was to be given to Naruto. Once again, I am truly sorry for the way things have played out, Kushina."

Kushina just stared with an unreadable expression. "Hiruzen, I accept your apology, but you still failed Minato and me. I know you have a lot more respect than you think you do, even after all these years. If you are ever going to fully redeem yourself in my eyes, then you better make sure you take the reins of your village and actually act like a leader instead of like a feeble old man."

Kushina turned to leave, but stopped and turned back to the ancient Hokage. "By the way, do you also happen to know where I might be able to find Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno?"

Hiruzen gave Kushina an accusatory stare. "Is there a reason you wish to see those two? If you are looking for revenge, Kushina…"

"Oh, please. I am not so petty that I would go and harm a child for revenge, Hiruzen. I just want to talk to the two of them. Naruto and his teammates told me about those two, and I want to talk to the two of them. I owe it to Mikoto-chan to see how Sasuke is doing, and I would at least like to see the little bitch that attacked my son."

"Kushina…"

"Oh, don't worry! I won't hurt her; scare her, maybe, but not hurt her…" With that, Kushina left the office in search of her late husband's student, as well as a few other individuals.

Hiruzen couldn't help but shutter. "I have the feeling that this will not end well for anyone who ticks her off. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then Kushina's wrath is as close to a demon as one can come without meeting a bijū."

* * *

Team Eight was jumping from tree-limb to tree-limb en route to Nami no Kuni. They had left after making a short stop to restock on supplies. Kiba seemed excited about the possibility of seeing some action on this mission – the idea of being "back-up" meant that there was a likely chance of a fight – Shino seemed unaffected, Hinata looked slightly nervous but otherwise unaffected, and Kurenai seemed determined. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed a little down. He wanted to have some more time to know his mom, but understood that as a ninja he would often be called on missions back-to-back without a reprieve.

Kurenai looked to her blond charge. "Don't worry Naruto; this mission probably won't last very long, so you will be back before you know it." Naruto let a small smile cross his face, knowing that his sensei was probably right.

"What is our mission, Kurenai-sensei?" Kiba asked.

Kurenai faced forward as she addressed her team. "We are to assist Asuma-san and his team with their escort mission. Apparently, they had a run-in with some missing nin from Kirigakure no Sato, including a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist by the name of Zabuza Momochi-"

"W-w-we are g-going to f-f-fight a member of _that _g-group, Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Hinata. Our main goal isn't to confront Zabuza. Our job will be to help Asuma's client, Tazuna. It was said in the letter that Tazuna was building a bridge for his land in order to stop Gato, a powerful business tycoon, from furthering Nami no Kuni into further debt. He will need protection from Zabuza until the completion of the bridge. This may mean fighting Zabuza directly, or it will mean taking out Gato's thugs. Don't you worry; if worse comes to worse, Asuma and I will take care of Zabuza."

Hinata looked relieved. The four genin now looked determined to help, but Kurenai couldn't help but look a little worried. Zabuza was a missing nin for a reason; he would not hesitate to kill any of her students. Kurenai could only hope they were ready for what awaited them in Nami no Kuni.

* * *

**Authors Notes: Here is a shorter chapter of **_**For the Sake of One**_**. Sorry this update has taken so long, but my muse and I have had troubles communicating due to my overly large plot bunnies and a case of writer's block. I would have written more for this chapter, but I didn't want to have all of Kushina's conversations in one chapter in addition to the intro to Wave and Hiruzen's conversation with Kushina. For those that don't like that, I am sorry.**

**Speaking of Kushina, I do not plan on rewriting my entire fic in order to compensate for the new info we have learned about her. When I began writing this, we didn't know a whole lot about her, but with the last three or four chapters of the manga, we have learned a lot of things that throw my indications about her out the window. I will simply go with what I have written and incorporate the elements that I can fit in. I will also say that my prediction about what happened the night of the Kyubi attack was on the right track, but I won't spoil it for those that haven't read it.  
**

**In the meantime, please read my two one-shots and my other two fics. **_**An Unexpected Savior **_**is lacking in reviews, and I don't know if it is just not all that great, or if people just are not interested.**

**My next chapter will be longer, but I will have to wait until I can sort out what I want to do to every character that Kushina will talk to. Until then, this will be on the back burner in favor of testing out some of my other fics. Ja ne!**

**

* * *

**

_**Definition:**_

_**Nami no Kuni: Land of Waves**_

_**Kirigakure no Sato: Village Hidden in the Mist**_

_**

* * *

**_

Please Read and Review.


	11. Chapter 10: Encounters with the Reaper

For the Sake of One

Chapter 10: Encounters with the Reaper

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, plain and simple.**_

* * *

Kakashi was staring at the memorial stone in front of him, with a forlorn look in his eyes. The past few months had not been kind to the son of the White Fang of Konoha. His training with Sasuke and Sakura had been more challenging than he cared to admit. Between Sasuke's conflicting attitude towards working with others and Sakura on the verge of a nervous breakdown and a deep depression, Kakashi was nearing the end of the metaphorical rope. Sasuke would often leave Sakura behind during exercises in order to attempt to progress his training further and would grow frustrated when he was forced to redo an exercise in order to allow his teammate to catch up. For Kakashi, it was like looking at a younger version of him: single-minded, focused on the mission and willing to do whatever it took to meet his goals. His growing frustration at only receiving two or three D-ranked missions a week due to the team's current structure did not help Sasuke's attitude any. While Kakashi knew that Sasuke was probably more than ready for a C-rank mission, Kakashi also knew that the way the team was set up right now, that would most likely not be possible.

Sakura on the other hand was a different matter entirely. Ever since her incident with Naruto, Sakura had become more withdrawn and nervous of her actions. She would second-guess herself when it came to making decisions, hold back during spars so as not to hurt anyone, and seemed to be paranoid of those around her. Whenever there was a team building exercise, Sakura would always shut down, stay quiet, and be wary of her training partner. She had improved somewhat in her physical training, if for no other reason than because she was afraid of being weak and useless. Kakashi knew she was feeling guilty about what she did, but knew that this was a lesson she needed to learn. Still, her actions and demeanor was beginning to hamper her training. It didn't help matters that two ANBU assigned to her were always hidden away somewhere out of sight, making Sakura even further paranoid. Kakashi could tell she was putting forth an effort, but her own insecurities and fears of what she was capable of and her own realizations about her gullibility had severely hampered the girl's trust with herself and to a lesser extent with others as well. Between all of these factors, Sakura was beginning to act more and more like a certain heiress used to. Kakashi was at wit's end trying to figure out just how he could break her free of her insecurities.

Seeing his reflection in the surface of the monument, Kakashi continued to gaze at his own image. The longer he stared, the longer it seemed that the stone was condemning him further. It seemed like his life had been one foul up after another. First, his mother died when he was a child, then his father commits seppuku to redeem himself after a botched mission where he chose to save his team over completing the mission, then he loses Obito during the horrific Third Shinobi World War, and to top it all off Rin, his sensei and his sensei's wife were all lost in the same night. The list just went on and on for him. Now, he could add his failure to protect Naruto on to that list. If he hadn't hit rock bottom yet, then Kakashi was certainly close to the bottom now.

Kakashi was brought out of his angst when he noticed a chakra signature behind him. He couldn't feel any ill will from the person, but they did seem to simply be standing behind them. Rather than address the individual, Kakashi remained silent, figuring that if the person behind him wanted to talk to him, he would be addressed first.

"It's been a long time, Kakashi."

Kakashi's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that voice in thirteen years. There was no way in hell it could be her, right? He turned around, and sure as the mask on his face, there was Kushina Uzumaki, in the flesh. Barring any sort of tormenting genjutsu, Kakashi knew that this was real.

"K-k-kushina-sama! Yo-you're alive?"

"Well, I'm not a ghost or a figment of your imagination, if that's what you are thinking."

"But, how? I mean, we all saw-"

"It's a long story, Kakashi, one that I personally would rather tell at another time. After all, I would much rather hear about how, in the span of thirteen years you could let things get as bad as they were for Naruto and not do a damn thing to help out in the least."

Kakashi responded as best as he could, but he knew that he had no excuse for his actions. "I wish I could say I had a perfectly good reason to not do anything, but I can't. Sure, I was in ANBU, and my duties as jōnin did keep me busy, but I can't claim either took all of my time up either."

"Then why, Kakashi? Why would you not help Naruto?" Kushina was expecting some bull crap about not wanting responsibility, or not having the desire, or wanting to have Naruto prove himself to Kakashi and come to him for help.

"…Because I couldn't live with the guilt."

The statement she received caught Kushina flat-footed. "What do you mean, Kakashi?"

He refused to meet her gaze as he answered. "My whole life has been one foul-up after another, Kushina-sama. I feel like all of my decisions have ended in tragedy, every choice haunting me wherever I go. I guess, when it comes down to it, I was afraid that my past mistakes would catch up with me and affect Naruto somehow. He didn't need to get caught in the crossfire of my own poor decisions. I didn't want to risk losing someone else because of my own incompetence."

Kushina's view of Kakashi changed. Before, she thought he was just being spiteful or lazy; now, the person she saw in front of her was not the confidant "Man of 1,000 Jutsu," but rather a man trying to take the weight of the world on his shoulders and to live with the guilt of his past circumstances. Still, she felt that perhaps Kakashi needed a wake-up call; he was letting his losses interfere with his responsibility not only to his students but to his village. With that in mind, a wicked grin plastered her face.

Kakashi didn't notice the sound of a weapon summoning until it was too late. As he turned around to see what Kushina was doing, he ended up face-to-shaft with the business end of Kushina's staff, sending him spinning from the impact to face-plant straight into the Memorial Stone. His face made a comedic "thud" with the rock, leaving one large headache for the masked shinobi.

"What was that for?" Kakashi asked, like a teenager who just got cold water dumped on his head.

"Does it matter, Kakashi? You can't change the fact that I hit you, can you?" Kushina asked with a laugh. After all, a good laugh never did anyone any harm, even if it was at the expense of someone else.

Kakashi was about ready to retort to Kushina's rather violent act, until he realized the double meaning behind it (Let it never be said that he never learned to look "underneath the underneath"). Kushina probably did hit him to vent some anger, but Kakashi realized that she was trying to make a point; he was spending so much time berating himself for his past that he had lost sight of his present circumstances. He was using the excuse of previous mistakes to justify not doing anything now.

'_And to think, I probably would not have thought of that if it were not for that hit on the head,' _Kakashi concluded. It was a bit ironic, he thought, that people had tried telling him that for years, and yet it was something as simplistic as a whack to the face to wake him up to reality. If circumstances were different, he might have been on the ground laughing his ass off.

"No, I suppose not, Kushina-sama."

"Good. Now then, if you are done brooding, perhaps you should go and do….well, whatever you were going to do after you got done here. I have other people to meet, and other things to do." Kushina said, before she turned to leave. "Oh, and Kakashi…if I catch you doing this again, we will have a 'training session' together, and I will make sure you earn that vest of yours." With that, Kushina left a now-nervous Kakashi to go about his business.

* * *

After her talk with Kakashi, Kushina decided to wander around the village looking for others to talk with. Many faces seemed unrecognizable to her, though part of that may have been that she hadn't been as social as she could have been in the years she had been in the village. Still, it was a trip down Nostalgia Lane for her to see that, no matter how things changed, certain things stayed the same.

She was brought out of her trip when she passed the Ninja Academy and recognized one of the instructors, who at the time were dismissing their classes, as Iruka Umino. She could see that he had gone and made chūnin in her absence and became a teacher.

'_He always did have a way with kids,' _she commented to herself. Deciding that she could take some time out of her schedule as well as wanting to touch base with at least one of her students, she made a detour to the Academy.

Iruka had just finished dismissing the last of his students for the day when he turned and saw a ghost from his past, or so he thought. Much like Kakashi, he had thought it was some kind of trick. Unlike Kakashi, however, he was furious. He had been fairly attached to his sensei before her death – even knowing about _who _her husband was – and to see someone profaning her memory by imitating her infuriating to him. So, he did what anyone wanting to avenge the memory of their sensei would do – charge at the person and demand them to stop. Or at least, that was the plan, until….

"Oh, and how is everyone's favorite Timid Dolphin doing, eh Iruka-kun?"

Iruka stopped in his tracks. There were only three people that dared to call him that: His two former teammates, and his sensei. Yūgao was on ANBU detail for Sakura Haruno, and Hayate was currently out of the village, which left…

"Sensei?"

"Yes?"

Iruka almost couldn't believe it; his sensei was alive. However, while he was ecstatic to see her, that still left one glaring problem, one that left him boiling mad. Before Kushina could ask what was wrong, Iruka was in her face, glaring at her and barely showing enough restraint to stop himself from yelling.

"Where were you? Do you even realize just how bad it was for Naruto while you were gone? Did you even care that he was here in the village? Did-"

That was as far as he got before he got slapped by Kushina. "Pull yourself together, Iruka-kun. Yelling at me will not do you any good. Besides, shouldn't I at least get a chance to put in my ryo before you bite my head off?"

Iruka wanted to retort, but he couldn't think of any reason why he couldn't at least hear his sensei out. After all, he was genuinely curious as to where she had been.

"Alright, sensei. Explain to me how you can justify being gone for so long."

Kushina sighed. This was going to be a long conversation….

* * *

**One Lengthy Explanation Later…**

If it were not for the words coming straight from her mouth, Iruka would not have believed the tale he just heard. His sensei had been tricked? Not only that, but she had been on another part of the continent all this time, merely a mission away from being found by Konoha? Iruka was busy picking his jaw up from off the ground by the time his sensei finished.

"…and that is how I got back to Konoha, Iruka-kun. Hopefully, that gives you some idea of what I have been through."

"Well sensei it does explains a lot, but I am still confused about one thing: why would you leave without saying good bye to Yugaō, Hayate, or me? I mean, do you realize how much we all missed you after the attack? It was part of the reason that Yugaō went into ANBU was because she thought you had died. Not to mention Hayate's promotion to Tokubetsu Jōnin -"

"While you remained a Chūnin teacher, I might add…"

"The point is why didn't you say good-bye?"

Kushina's expression softened a little. "I honestly thought you three would have been fine. You had all become capable Chūnin and had already begun your paths to becoming great shinobi. I figured that the three of you didn't need me anymore, and it was not as if I had much left to teach you all anyway."

Iruka, shocked that Kushina would think of herself like that, jumped in. "That's not true, Kushina-sensei! There was still plenty that we could have learned from you. Sure, we were Chūnin, but that didn't mean that you were no longer a part of our lives. You were very important to all of us, important to me…"

"Iruka…"

Iruka gained a more solemn look, like someone who was tired beyond his years. "The Kyūbi's attack was a double-knockout for me, sensei. I lost both you and my parents in one night; what's worse, we didn't even know you were dead until Sarutobi-sama told us that your body had been found. It was as if anyone that I could have looked up to had been taken away from me. Then I remembered Naruto. I knew I couldn't look after him at the time, but when I first saw his name on the school roster, I couldn't wait until I could teach him."

"So, you knew he was my son?"

"There was only one Uzumaki in Konoha at the time. Besides, he does look a lot like his dear old dad, and I knew that you were faithful to him."

"You knew who his father was?"

"I had a guess, though why no one else has ever said anything is beyond me."

"It was probably some bull-crap about enemies attacking or inflated egos and what not, I would imagine."

Iruka couldn't argue with that point, though even he had to agree the logic behind that seemed odd. Sure, things were tough in the first few years after the incident, but of the two enemies Konoha had at the time, Kumo was having its own internal affairs issues in the year during and immediately following the Kyūbi incident – not to mention the Hyūga incident – and Iwa was nowhere near powerful enough nor had the funds at the time to even so much as send an assassin, never mind launch a full-scale invasion just to kill the child of their most infamous enemy.

"So, have I proven myself Iruka-kun, or is there something else I need to do to prove myself to you?" Kushina asked. She could see Iruka had calmed down, but whether he forgave her or not it was difficult to tell.

"Well I'm still upset, but given what you have said, I suppose I can't blame you that much. Still, I guess my emotions have been a bit high since Naruto's accident-" Iruka clasped a hand over his mouth, thinking he had said too much, before Kushina waved him off.

"If you mean his incident with Sakura Haruno, Iruka-kun, one of Naruto's teammates already told me about it. Speaking of, do you know where I can find his former teammates?"

"Sensei…"

"Don't worry, I won't kill them. I just thought I would like to see who my son was going to be on a team with. What, were you expecting me to be some enraged berserker seeking vengeance?" She ended with a smile. Yes, she was mad, but she was a kunoichi; she could show restraint.

Iruka considered not telling her, but given that Yugaō hadn't seen her yet he figured there wouldn't be too much harm. "She's on assignment right now watching Sakura Haruno. I can't say I know where Sasuke spends his time outside of the Uchiha district, so you will be on your own on that."

"Thank you kindly. Now, if you will excuse me, Dolphin-kun, I have a few more people to meet and some places to re-familiarize myself to today. I will see you around!" And with that, Kushina disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Iruka to wonder just what he just unleashed onto one of his former students.

'_I hope this won't come back to bite me in the ass later,' _Iruka thought.

* * *

**Author's Notes: So, here's a shorter chapter than normal of my story after months of being under the radar. Sorry this took so long, guys and gals, but frankly this past year was, in a word, hell. Financial aid issues, my mother's death, general boredom, laziness, and numerous other issues drained me in most ways. But, with most of that out of the way now, I can get back to some form of normalcy.**

**I will start by saying thank you to all who have reviewed, added to favorites, and messaged me these past few months. There are too many people to list that have been very supportive for this, and I am glad that you all have enjoyed these stories of mine, even with a chaotic schedule like mine. I can't promise I will update every week, but I am working hard to find a system that will let me write faster and get my ideas to paper in a timely fashion. Again, thank you all.**

**I will say off the bat, I am not as satisfied with this chapter as I wish I could have been, but frankly no matter how long I stared at the screen I couldn't find anything else important to say. I was going to show Kushina's conversations with Sakura and Sasuke, but in the end I decided that I needed more time to figure out the best ways of approaching each scene. Plus, now that I have time to write I really need to get on with the Wave mission and figure out where everything else is going.**

**As an aside, yes that scene between Kushina and Kakashi was inspired by Rafiki and Simba's scene from **_**Disney's The Lion King. **_**No, I do not own that either, but hey I thought it would be funny to include.**

**I will also note that I am considering one of two directions to take with my story "Prayer of the Jinch****ū****riki." To be honest, I am in a rut, and I have two ideas of how to best get back on track. The first option is to take on a Beta Reader for the story, not only to keep motivated in my writing, but to bounce ideas off of. The second, and the idea I am sort of leaning towards at the moment, is to make the story a series of vignettes where I go through all eight other containers with an ending chapter involving Gaara. I will post a poll on my profile to get people's input, but that is where I am at currently.**

**My hope is that I will be able to get my head back on straight soon. In the meantime, I have two challenges, the "Death of Sakura," and the "Miracle Naruto and Villainous Sasuke" that I am adding to my profile around the same time as these chapters come out, so go ahead and check them out. Hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter and the Omake that I will write to compensate for the lack of actual story this chapter. Whether you guys want to think it is part of the story or simply a "what if" is up to you. Also, I am contemplating getting a beta reader, but haven't quite decided upon whether I will or not, so I would like to see your opinions on whether to do so or not. So, until next update, see you guys later.**

* * *

**OMAKE: Lesson Learned – Perverts Get Bashed**

Naruto and Kiba were sitting around the fire after another day of traveling to Jizen-Gai. They were just sitting around trying to keep the fire going while Shino had gone off scouting around and Kurenai and Hinata went to find dinner. At one point, Naruto had looked over to see Kiba with some grin on his face he couldn't quite place.

"What're you grinning at, Kiba?"

Kiba had a bit of a nosebleed as he responded. "Oh, I was just thinking about sensei and Hinata-chan in those bathing suits. Man, were they hot!"

Naruto looked flabbergasted. "D-dude, what are you talking about, you big pervert? You aren't supposed to talk about girls like that!"

"What are you talking about, Naruto? Of course we are; we're guys. That's what we do!"

"You're still a pervert, Kiba! I'll never be one! I've seen what happens to guys who act like that!"

"Ah, c'mon man! Admit it; they were smoking hot in those bathing suits! I mean, you could see their boobs and everything!"

Naruto would have responded, but he looked behind Kiba and saw something he knew would only mean that their night would end in tears. In vain, he tried to get his teammate's attention. "Um, Kiba…"

Kiba however was in full-pervert mode and was oblivious to any and all dangers. "…Plus, there was their firm asses, those smoking hot legs, their-"

"Our what, Kiba?" Kiba froze before turning around to see a very embarrassed Hinata passed out on the ground and a livid Kurenai incinerating him with her eyes.

"Oh, hi sensei…" Kiba tried to say nonchalantly. He would have run, but growing up in a house of women he knew that his chances of escape were zero.

By the time Shino returned, he saw Naruto's silhouette rocking back and forth in the tent, mumbling something about being good and strongly denying the "Pervert Side." As for Kiba, he looked like someone had stuck him in a hole somewhere, filled the whole with tomcats in heat and spraying him with musk. Shino just shook his head, figuring that Kiba must have put his foot in his mouth again somehow.

From that day on, Kiba learned to better control his perverted influences, and Naruto learned that his views on perverseness and female reactions to such thoughts were fully justified.

* * *

Please Read and Review


	12. UPDATE: I'm not deadyet

Important Update: I'm not dead…yet….

Hey everyone:

So, as the title suggests, I'm not dead yet. I know it has been a while since I have updated or uploaded anything to , and there is a reason for that; a few reasons, in fact.

First, my computer died completely on me back in November. It was for all intents and purposes bricked, meaning I couldn't even turn the thing on. In addition, I did not have the means of replacing my computer until last month, meaning I haven't had the means to access most of my files.

My other major reason for not updating in so long has been that I have been working hard through my last full year of college. From September onwards, my butt has been handed to me on a silver platter, and I have not had the desire or the time to focus on my stories. Even right now, I have a full load involving a grant writing course and other courses to fill out my major. I even have an internship and online classes I am setting up this summer just so I can graduate this year! As a result, my free time has been rather limited.

There are of course other more personal reasons for my absence – I would say more, but even with the anonymity of I would not feel comfortable discussing it all – but I think most of my readers could get the gist of what I am saying.

The important thing is, I will be returning to writing eventually, but for right now finishing my college career is going to take precedence. I might be able to start updating again after about June or July, but I make no promises until then. I am still trying to decide what to do with the stories I have, and changes could be coming soon to at least one of them. Until I can set aside some time to plan things out, I will still be silent for the most part on my end. I am not holding my stories for ransom for views or abandoning anything at the moment – I know how frustrating that can be – I am just prioritizing my life on more immediate concerns.

All I ask for is some more patience as I try to balance this busy time of my life. I will hopefully have new chapters for all three of my stories by the time I get back to writing. Enjoy writing and reading, guys.

Notgonnasay09


End file.
